Heavenly jacuzzi under Kithulgala waters
Text and pix by Prabuddha Athukorala and Kamalanath
Liyanage
Kithulgala and the surrounding region have always been a popular
get-away among foreign as well as local tourists. And it is not
surprising since this area is renowned among the thrill seekers, who
enjoy the turbulent river waters. Apart from white water rafting,
Kithulgala has much more to offer with breathtaking sceneries.
Kithulgala Beli Lena is one such place with a history dating back to
pre-historic times. Declared as an archaeological reserve under the
Antiquities Ordinance, Beli Lena offers us a chance to take a look at
life in the region dating back to 30,000 years.Always keen to undertake
new challenges, the management trainees of Lake House thought it would
be best to explore the unspoken, yet fascinating side of Kithulgala.
All the 14 in the batch jumped up at the idea of spending a weekend
in this area away from the hassles of city life.
Ancestral roots
Located around six kilometres from the Kithulgala junction, the road
leading to Beli Lena is a welcome escape to an exotic greenery. Small
waterfalls found on either side of the road help create a magical
atmosphere while the dense rubber plantation adds a creepy feel. The
journey terminates in front of the giant rock family called Beli Lena.
Yet the next scene shocked us all. It was quite sad to see the plight
of the footpath leading to Beli Lena. Deforestation and years of
negligence had taken its toll, and with great difficulty we managed to
climb the mountain to reach the rocky caves.
At present M.R. Simon is the caretaker of this world heritage site,
appointed by the Archaeological Department. He was quite helpful by
sharing his experiences, with stories.
Simon said that "The skeletal parts of humans dug out were nearly
16,000 years old. These were invaluable in our studying the archaeology
of Balangoda Manawaya - the oldest reported human group in Sri Lanka.
Remains of monkeys, deer, porcupines, giant squirrel and other smaller
mammals were also found during excavations and are thought to be the
delicacies of the Balangoda Man.
Bridges galore
In more recent times, during the 1940s these caves were the home of
bhikkhus. The serene picturesque setting was an ideal location for
meditation.
Simon said that the water stream which flows down from the top of the
rock, takes the form of a tiny waterfall during the monsoon. A light
shower which greeted us in Beli Lena gave us a glimpse of how the
bhikkhus had taken their baths from the natural shower.
It was only in 1978 that the excavation activities were started by a
group of German experts under the guidance of the Archaeological
Department. Early excavations done here had revealed a rich assemblage
of cultural, faunal and human remains. Some of the findings include
geometric microlithic stone tools which were among the earliest in the
world.
The pristine beauty surrounding Kithulgala has always captivated many
artistes. A good example is the film "Bridge on the River Kwai" shot
here in 1957. Considered as one of the best war movies ever, it won many
accolades while sweeping the Academy awards with seven Oscars.
A heavenly jacuzzi
A trip to Kithulgala region can never be complete without cooling
off, encountering the white water waves. Hence we travelled further away
from Kithulgala town in search of Kehelgamuwa Oya - a tributary of the
Kelani River.
Tea cultivation is a common site in this area and the tea plants
battered by months of harsh weather, welcomed the slight drizzle as much
as we did. Madawala Waththa is one such tea estate located in the small
town of Pitawala where we made our final stop.
After making a descent for about ten minutes we reached the guest
house. The sight overlooking the mountain ranges was truly breathtaking.
We were even fortunate enough to witness the top of the famous Sri
Pada (Adam's Peak) in the background through the mist.
Since everyone was eager to plunge into the river, we didn't waste
much time for resting and hurriedly made the climb down through tea
estates and stumbled upon the Kehelgamuwa Oya. I stood there speechless
for sometime just to make sure it wasn't one of those fairy tale dreams.
The place where we took to the river was ideal even for a non
swimmer. The water level wasn't so deep and the rock formation was such
that it gave us a feel of a natural pool.
As one of our friends pointed out, laying against these well shaped
rocks and letting the white water jets massage your body is thousand
times enjoyable and healthier than a man-made jacuzzi. Just imagine
laying back in this jacuzzi and tasting fried Hurullewo fish, what more
can you ask for?
After playing in the water for about three hours we reluctantly got
back to the guest house as it was getting late. But the pool filled with
all natural waterways was just too much to resist.
Finally we enjoyed a sumptuous lunch before setting back to Colombo
with vivid memories that will last a lifetime. |
