Cascading veils of beauty

There is nothing like hearing the gurgle of water in place of the familiar repelling sounds of the city like honking, shouting and city traffic. And a natural veil of water plummeting down a cliff is a sight for sore eyes. A waterfall is nothing short of natural phenomena. Consequently it is only fair that an international day - November 26 - be allocated to appreciate such divine natural beauty.

A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff (Wikipedia). Waterfalls are not mere objects of beauty, they are dynamic entities that possess enormous kinetic energies enough to change whole landscapes. Sri Lanka, compared to its land area has a large number of waterfalls. Ratnapura district leads with a staggering 109 waterfalls, while Nuwara Eliya has 75 and Kegalle 40.

Bambarakanda and St. Clair's Falls are among world's top ten waterfalls. With a height of over 263 m (863 ft), Bambarakanda or Bambarakele Falls - the tallest in Sri Lanka - ranks as the 299th highest waterfall in the world. Situated in Kalupahana in the Badulla District, formed by Kuda Oya, which is a branch of the Walawe river, this pristine beauty snuggles in a forest of pine trees.

St. Clair's Falls, the widest waterfall in Sri Lanka hence called 'Little Niagara of Sri Lanka', is the second of the local waterfalls that is included in world's top ten list. Situated in the Hatton-Talawakele Highway, the falls derived its name from a nearby tea estate. Eighty metres in height, St.Clair's cascades in two falls called 'Maha Ella' and 'Kuda Ella' which is 50m high, created by a tributary of Kotmale Oya. But without argument the most famous among locals as well as foreigners is Dunhinda. Located about 5 km off the town of Badulla, it gets its name from the smoky spray of dew which surrounds the area at the base of the waterfall. The muddy 1 km path that leads to Dunhinda is worth the walk as this is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the island. The sound of gushing water only adds to the anticipation of the weary traveler!

Situated Just 15 kms from the Colombo-Ratnapura road, Bopath Ella falls from a height of 100ft. The formation of the waterfall itself is a marvel of nature. In fact, the name 'Bopath Ella' has been derived from its perfectly heart shaped head, resembling the leaf of the sacred Bo tree. The third highest (171 M) waterfall in Sri Lanka, Diyaluma is located along the Koslande-Welawaya road in the Badulla District. Hidden in the mist of Horton Plains, Bakers Falls is an additional treat for visitors on their way to Worlds' End.

While their splendour may seem enough a reason for them to be celebrated, the World Waterfalls Day has many objectives. As any Sri Lankan would know a waterfall has many uses ranging from agricultural, drinking water, tourism and power generation. But it is a distressing fact that a great number of them is also in danger. A waterfall that has run dry is a ghastly sight! Climate change and various developmental activities have deprived waterfalls of their element - water, resulting in major ecological repercussions. Pollution also posed a more immediate threat to waterfalls the world over. Environmental activists are trying to turn things around by campaigning against the death of waterfalls.

But let's not leave everything to activists. Just as we have a right to relish in the pristine beauty of nature's marvels, we also have a duty to preserve them. While you are exhilarated by the mist of the plummeting tower of water just remember to pick up that polythene wrapper as well! - Sajitha