The Nelumwewa hot spring has the highest recorded temperature among the hot springs in Sri Lanka. The temperature is 62 C and the main difference from the other hot springs is that it is located inside a “wewa”. The place can be approached within one hour from Polonnaruwa town. There is no point of going from Colombo just only to see the hot springs, but it can be included in your trip to Polonnaruwa sacred city or in a trip to the eastern coast (Pasikuda) through Polonnaruwa.

We stared the journey from Polonnaruwa at 9 am in the morning. We came about 18 kms from Kaduruwela bus stand along the Batticaloa road until we reach to Sevanapitiya town. Sevanapitiya is a small town between Manampitiya and Welikanda. It can be easily identified as the town is just after the first railway crossing over A11 road after Kaduruwela town. We took the right hand turn towards Nelumwewa from Sevanapitiya. Then we traveled for about 6 kms until we reach to a “bunt” of the Galwewa. Although the hot springs are called as “Nelumwewa hot water springs” it is actually located at “Galwewa”. People used the word Nelumwewa as it sounds better than Galwewa for a visitor.

Both Nelumwewa and Galwewa are two joined small tanks used to store water for the paddy fields. We traveled about 1.5 kms around Galwewa on the bunt and crossed a bridge which separates 2 tanks. (Left side Nelumwewa and right side Galwewa). After going about 300 meters from the bridge we took the left hand turn to a gravel road and went for another 200 meters until we reach the Galwewa. Sorowwa (Gates) of Galwewa was also seen before the bridge.

Road to Galwewa from Sevanapitiya	Galwewa
Galwewa with Dimbulagala rock in the back ground	Hot springs are located at the centre of Galwewa
Pathway to the springs	Sorowwa of Galwewa

The hot springs are located inside Galwewa. In dry season you can walk to the springs as the water level goes down in the wewa. But at the time we went it was full raining to the area and we had to hire a “oruwa” from a fisherman to travel about 50 meters and to reach a “weli paraya” (Sand dune) where the hot springs
are located.

Fishing oruwa was hired to travel the small distance of 50 meters	View of Dimbulagala from the middle of the tank
Distance between the two boat yards were very small....	To the springs along the "weli paraya"

Name board of hot springs with valuable information about all hot Springs of Sri Lanka

There are about 5 hot wells over flowing with crystal clear water which you can not touch. The overflow is mixed with ordinary water in the tank. The place is very calm and quite as it is not much known to the public yet. You can have a peaceful bath with hot water and also with cold water from the “wewa” if requires. But be very careful with getting down to the “wewa” as it was full of mud and anything can be sink on it.

Crystal clear hot water is over flowing from a well...	Another hot well...
Over flow from the hot well is going to the Galwewa	Air bubbles were also observed in the well

Galwewa is ideal for birds watching. Water birds like Indian cormorants, Black winged stilts, Purple herons, Pied kingfishers, Terns and lot of egrets were present at Galwewa.

Pied King fisher

Terns

Black winged stilts

Water spiders

We came back our way in the gravel road from Galwewa and took the right turn form the place where we turned earlier to go to Galwewa. Then we proceed to Alutwewa village until we reach the L.B. main canal road. We took the left turn and went through the canal road until we come to a junction where the canal road meets the Aralaganwila-Polonnaruwa main road. Along the way we saw an artificial water fall which was formed due to sudden level change of the canal.

We took the right hand turn from the junction and came back to Polonnaruwa.