Blue = mini worlds end | Purple = Metigahatenna falls | Green=Dunhida falls – Click Map to Enlarge

in green is Dun falls – Click Map to Enlarge

I have heard and seen some stunning images of a waterfall in a rural village in Uva long ago and I was tempted to visit this waterfall which is the 3rd highest in Uva and winning the 7th place considering all other waterfalls in Sri Lanka. So again it was a gamble with overcast conditions. First day I decided to spend the night at a friend’s place close to Madulsima.
Next day early morning it was a wonderful sight to see all 9 peaks of Namunukula from my friends garden which just made my day perfect. Next I took a bus towards Madulsima and then a trishaw towards mini worlds end. From Madulsima I think there was roughly 20kms. After taking the road towards Metigahatenna we had to take a right turn at Kuruvigolla and proceed along Pitamaruwa road passing Ambalama junction towards Cocogalla. Currently they have carpeted the road for a short distance and from there onwards it was pure torture. You really need a good 4WD or a Piaggio trishaw to tackle this road which leads to Roeberry. Just after passing Cocogalla we did notice D.S. Rock which resembles Hon. D. S. Senanayake on the opposite hill. After passing Cocogalla and reaching Elamanna we had to take another right turn in the direction which was saying “mini worlds end 1.1Km”.

Passara town lit up at night (15 sec shutter speed)

nine peaks of namunukula at dawn

Lunugala mountain

Welcome

Namunukula rising over the mist

HDR

gap

towards Knuckles range(on the way scenery)

the road under construction

D. S. Rock

directions – Click Image to Enlarge

on the way scenery

After tackling this difficult path we arrived at a summer hut where the foot path began and proceeded along that for 100 meters and arrived at an abyss which was covered with mist. When I raised my head and looked further I noted that I was over the clouds. I even went in to a stupor for few minutes; I really felt that I was at the end of the world. Few meters away from this point is the main view point towards eastern Sri Lanka where one will come across a plate with directions but to identify these land marks this was not the ideal time. I sat near the plate and gazed far away for miles over the clouds and imagined flying like a free bird :-). Sometimes imagination augments the beauty of mother nature a lot 🙂 on a clear day one can easily identify Kandy, Meegahakivula, Nagadeepa lake, Mahiyangana, Ulhitiya, Sora bora lake, Bibile, Kotagama village at the base, Batticaloa, Ampara, Senanayake reservoir, Monaragala, Passara and Badulla. Actually this mountain range which extends for many kilometers is the eastern slope of the central hills of Sri Lanka and it also the boarder of Badulla and Monaragala. There was another mini (mini) worlds end but didn’t bother to go there because the mist decided to cover up everything permanently for the day.

a hut near worlds end

from top to bottom

window view from heaven

Dorapada drop

wow wow wow

simply wow

the drop

the base of the drop of worlds end

mini worlds end

having a look

eastern slopes covered with mist

rise of the mist

i think im on an airplane

over the clouds

the plate with directions

mist started to clear up

Mini(mini) worlds end, didnt bother to go there

and more clouds

contrast

please clear off

paddy fields of Bibile

these fellows are not friendly

the eastern slope of the central hills of Sri Lanka

clearing off

note the lake

wow at last

plenty of fields

mist mist go away

towards alawaththagoda

couldnt stop clicking

atlast can see the bottom

kotagama area

a ancient temple of kotagama

plenty of clouds

and more paddy

sorry pal thats it

bye bye

Next we took a short cut which led towards Metigahatenna where we came across Metigahatenna falls located 2km’s towards Ekiriya. This waterfall is easily locatable because it’s very close to the road. After hanging around a bit we proceeded towards Madulsima. From here we took a road which passed the police station and arrived at a name board saying Kohanawela School. Now this village is one of the most rural villages in Sri Lanka, Children walk 20Km up and down just to reach the school which is located at a place where no vehicle can approach. We walked for about 1.5Km along this foot path which was leading downhill along a tea estate to view Madulsima Dunhida falls which I think should be renamed as Madulsima Diyaluma :-P.

landscaped	a friend
paddy fields at Ekiriya	zoomed
Metigahatenna falls	plenty of bowitiya

tree tops

Madulsima dunhida falls	zoomed in
starting point	hard working
plucking & plucking	children walk 20km per day to reach their school
no idea what it is but yet beautiful	mirror image
evening mist	stages
they were so shy

After reaching Madulsima and having lunch I reached the police station and met the OIC who I had previously contacted, he welcomed me happily and treated me very well that day even by providing accommodation. If it wasn’t for him I would have been stranded that day.
Next day my main intention was to get to Pitamaruwa but no trishaw driver wanted to tackle that road but one guy said he would charge at least 4000/= for the hire. So one of the known police guys volunteered to take me on bike but after passing Cocogalla we got caught to a continues drizzle which made our journey extremely difficult, somehow at one point we came across a Tea lorry which offered me a ride towards Sooriyagolla where I really wanted to go. The journey through Rathkele towards Roeberry was one of those journeys I will never forget. The area was so isolated and the only vehicle we came across was Pitamaruwa Ambulance which was transporting an ill patient towards Badulla via Passara. But never the less the scenery was simply breath taking. After reaching Roeberry we took a left turn towards Pitamaruwa and the lorry had to take a stop at a place close to Sooriyagolla where I had to get down and walk towards Ititampala in search of Dun Falls. After walking 3Km’s I reached a mini reservoir built to divert water for a power house at Ekiriya. The guy who was at the power house was kind enough to guide me towards this waterfall. The sight of the waterfall was simply heartbreaking. The same destiny as St Clairs has struck this remote beauty, now only a limited amount of water is allowed to flow downstream and the right arm of the waterfall was completely dried out. Here is showing the waterfall at full flow taken by Kishan in 2005.

Dun falls at full flow taken by Kishan in 2005

sun rise through the mist

early morning pebbles	new life
morning shots	place of worship

perfect landscape

Good messages

the junction where i met the lorry

more to go – Click Image to Enlarge	siblings
Heaven is the places where gods reside	rural schools
they were every where	perfect

the evil dam which destroyed the beauty of Dun falls

Dun falls	two parts of Dun falls(one arm is dried out)
top of it	Dun falls upper reaches
lower reaches	scenery from top of the falls

I returned back along the 4WD road where the tea lorry was stopped and I was lucky enough to catch it before it left towards Lunugala via Janatha pura. When we started to return back it rained so heavily that the roads got covered with muddy water completely within no time. Somehow my head was aching like someone hammered me with a hammer and my guts felt like been entangled when I got down at Lunugala though the road through Janathapura was in good condition. I was again lucky enough to get the last bus towards Monaragala from Bibile to return back to civilization which was covered with clouds the day before 🙂