Pottuvil and Arugam Bay are situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka's South-East coast. The area is rich in bird life and wildlife in the widespread jungle areas, wetlands and lagoons nearby. It has it's own specific climate with very little rain compared to the rest of the island.
November and December are quiet, but beautiful.
It is often windy, but still warm and it rains on and off. It is the rainy time in the East, but still there are many sunny days. All through the year the variating landscape invites trips on bycycle, motorfbike and off-roaders, as well as walking along the beaches. During this period many migrating birds arrive.
January, February and March have a very agreeable , though slightly humid climate. Refreshing winds blow from the North-East. The weather and waves are mostly good for wind-surfing, rafting, fishing and swimming, and this is the best time for birdwatching.
During April and May the sun is at its Zenith, and it can get rather hot and humid. The wind changes to South-East, and the season for body-surf starts. Arugam Bay is known as one of the best surf-points in the world.
From June the climate starts to feel less hot, as the soil and air get drier. Before midday a constant breeze from South East blows. The waves are now mostly steady for surf. A canoe trip in the lagoon during sunset is unforgettable.
The same is true for July, August, September and October, which are dry as well. This is contrary to the climate on the West Coast and many holidaymakers and surfers arrive during these months. A couple of showers in September or October make the landscape green again.
THE AREA AND THE PEOPLEIn the area of Arugam Bay live approximately 3.500 people. It consists of three small villages, where fishing and farming are the main occupations. The farmers grow rice and keep cattle for production of meat and curd.
Ullae is the fishing village in the corner of the Bay, where the sea is quiet and the land forms a natural fishing harbour. As it is fishing season nearly all year round there is a colourful life on the beach, with plenty of small boats, nets and friendly people.
Being such an attractive spot a whole community of Singhalese fishing families from the West Coast settles down every year in temporary palmhuts on the beach.
Most local people in Ullae are families from the Tamil community, Christians and some Hindu. There are some Singhalese families, too. They follow the Buddist tradition. Intermarriages among Singhalese and Tamil are not uncommon in this area of Sri Lanka.
Ullae has a Singhalese and a Tamil school and lies between Perie Ullae (south) and Sinne Ullae (north).
In Perie Ullae there is a sub-postoffice, a Mosque, a Muslim school and a predominantly Muslim population. Also in Sinne Ullae the population is mostly Muslim families with a Mosque and a Muslim school.
The nearest town is Pottuvil, 2 km away from the Bay. It has 12.000 inhabitants out of which 80% are Muslim.
Pottuvil is a real cowboy-town around a mainstreet with a rather widespread residential nabourhood consisting of many well-built villas as well as more humble palmhuts and cottages. In Pottuvil the cowboys ride on bycycle. 2 banks can change cash, travellers cheques and visa cards only.
There is a simple communication centre, a market, and many small shops with the daily needs for the local population of farmers, fishermen and traders. Being dominantly Muslim there are no liquor shops. The nearest liquor shop is in Siyambalanduwa 35 km from Pottuvil, where the population is Singhalese and Buddist.
Pottuvil has a small government hospital. The hospital's doctors have private clinics in Pottuvil, where they practice in the mornings and evenings.
Public transportation is cheap and mainly in small private vans and three-wheelers. You can also hire a three- wheeler for yourself only. The buses to Moneragala and Colombo leaves early morning from Ullae.
In Moneragala there is a big bus stand with connections to the rest of the island. Every second day in the afternoon a direct bus leaves from Pottuvil for Colombo, arriving there 11-12 hours later.
If you hire a car the direct drive to Colombo takes 8 hours, although it is only 320km.
Arugam Bay and Pottuvil are part of Ampara district, which has a population of 42.000 people representing all communities. The general rule is that along the coastline nearly every second village or town is either Tamil or Muslim. The Singhalese communities live further inland.
ACTIVITIES
The daily activities in Arugam Bay and Pottuvil start early. Around 4 o'clock the first fishing boats go out to sea. It is possible to arrange trips with them.
An hour later the Mullah in the mosque sends his first morning prayers out, and at six the sky is changing color.
The sun raises over the sea an hour later. Now the early surfers are already swimming near the surfpoint. This is also the ideal time to start walks along the beach or take a bycycle-ride inland.
If you want to watch wildlife, you may drive in a jeep 10-15 km down South before sunrise or walk along the lagoon. But in the evenings as well after 5 o'clock till 7 p.m. you meet wild elephants, deer, wild pig, crocodiles and many other animals nearby. Also the birdlife is known to be very rich and interesting to watch in this area.
You can swim or fight with the waves in the sea all year round. On few occasions in January and February is the lagoon opened up by the people living on it's shores, and excess water is streaming out to the sea. Then there is a bustling fishing life around the opening, and it is dangerous to swimm nearby untill it is closed again.
Being an area with links back to ancient kingdoms there are many remnants in the jungle from old Buddist culture. Just outside Pottuvil behind the dunes are escavations of a 2000 year old temple, Modu Maha Vihare.
Adam's Peak (also Adam's Mount; Sinhalese Samanalakanda - සමනළ කන්ද "butterfly mountain", Tamil Sivanolipatha Malai - சிவனொலி பாதமலை) world says that the footprint mark is the left foot of the Buddha, left behind as he strode away,
Though not the highest mountain of Sri Lanka, the striking pyramid of Adam's Peak (7,360 ft) is certainly the most remarkable. A depression in the rocky summit resembles a huge footprint, which has been venerated as a sacred sigh from remote antiquity. This was identified by Buddhists as the Buddha's footprint, by Hindus as that of Shiva, and by Muslims as Adam's. Later the Portuguese attributed it to St. Thomas the Apostle.
The Mahawamsa tells how the sacred footprint was imprinted by the departing Buddha on his third visit to Lanka, but the site did not become an object of regular Buddhist pilgrimage until the Polonnaruwa period, when Vijayabahu I built resting houses for pilgrims and King Nissankamalla himself, in the year 1201, climbed to the top and worshipped the spot. Trails Access to the mountain is possible by 6 trails (Ratnapura-Palabaddala, Hatton-Nallathanni, Kuruwita-Erathna, Murraywatte, Mookuwatte & Malimboda). Out of these the Nallathanni & Palabaddala routes are the most popular. Kuruwita-Erathna road is somewhat popular as well. The other 3 roads are almost obscure. It joins the Palabaddala road midway through the ascent. Buses connect the final nodes of Nallanthanni to Hatton, Palabaddala to Ratnapura & Erathna to Kuruwita. There after it's a difficult journey through the forest on foot. Most of the pilgrims use Hatton route as the journey on foot can be reduced by more than five kilometers even though the slope of this route is much greater than other routes.
The mountain is located in the southern reaches of the Central Highlands, in the Ratnapura district of the Sabaragamuwa Province - lying about 40 km northeast of the city of Ratnapura. The surrounding region is largely forested hills, with no mountain of comparable size nearby. The region along the mountain is a wildlife reserve housing many species varying from elephants to leopards, and including many endemic species.
Sri Pada: Myth, Legend and Geography
The most famous physical feature of Ceylon isAdam' speak, which is situated in the Ratnapura district. It is on the edge of the central massif but its surrounding group of mountains called the Wilderness of the Peak, is so extensive in comparison to the bulk of the other mountain groups that it appears to form a nucleus of its own, separate from the others. It is 2,243 meters high and, though it is the fifth highest peak in the land, its position in relation to the topography is so dominant that it stands out above all others. The physical features of a land are often spoken of first, by a foreign visitor. Physical descriptions compare it to a pearl and a teardrop. Lying at the southern point of India its pendant shape appears like a drop of water as it falls. South of it there is nothing but the Antarctic. It is on the major sea route between West and East Asia and therefore was a trading station for the Arabs and a trading station and a colony for the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. The Arabian Nights has possibly the first reference to it.
"Now the island of Serendib lieth under the equinoctial line, its night and day both numbering twelve hours. It measureth eighty leagues long by a breadth of thirty and its width is bounded by a lofty mountain and a deep valley. The mountain is conspicuous from a distance of three days and it contains many rubies and other minerals, and spice trees of all sorts. I ascended that mountain and solaced myself with a view of its marvels which are indescribable and afterwards I returned to the King." (Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor, from The Thousand and One Arabian Nights) More info at Sripada.org
History of Warana Rock temple flows up to king Devanampiyatissa time. According to some written information he constructed this temple between 2nd and 3rd centery BC. Later the King Walagamba did renovation in 1st century AD. King Walagamba is a famous for Rock ( cave) temple building in Sri Lanka, because he used to hide among most of those caves when kings from south India invades Sri Lanka. After he won the battle, He had build temples in most of these locations or renovate the existing ones. King Nissanka Malla and king Parakarmabahu VI also contributed to the development of this temple. There are some inscriptions find in Warana temple. They says that "This is donated to Tissa Dhatta Thero, the brother of Majjhima Thero". The Tissa Dhatta Thero is considered as the student of Mahinda Thero.
Warana Cave Temple -
How to go to Varana Temple:
Warana Raja Maha Viharaya, or the Varana Temple got its name because it's located in Warana village. This is one of the cave temple located in Western province of Sri Lanka, which can be reach less than 1.5 hours from Colombo. You will be amazed to see historical cave temples on the giant rocks with some ancient inscriptions(Brahmin script ). Warana temple is located around 5 km away from the Colombo Kandy highway. If you are coming from Colombo, turn right from Yakkala Junction and go around 4 km. Then you will find "Nelli Gaha Mula" junction and turn left from there. You have to go around 1 km and then take a another side road, which leads you to Warana Temple.
Villages are very helpful and you can check the road with them also. On our way he stopped several places and checked the road. Road condition is OK, but its not that wide. You will definitely like to drive these winding roads, you can enjoy some country side views of Srilanka, cascading paddy fields, bufferlos and there are many rocks passing by.
There is another approach by taking turn from Thihariya, from Colombo Kandy road. The Attanagalle and Pilikittuwa temples are also located in a close proximity.
In 18th century King Walagamba built this temple enriches with ancient architecture. This ancient temple Situated in Warana, Aththanagalla in Gampaha district.
At Varana Temple:
Temple consist of three levels, In the first level the Sangawasaya ( Where monks lives), and the Darma shalaya ( using for Preaching ) is located.
You have to climb around 40-50 steps to reach the the second level. There is a newly build pond by your right hand side and a small natural pong with lotus by your left hand side on your way there.
Shrine Rooms and the second level
In the middle level ( meda Weeraya - temple at the middle level) you can see a historical Dagebo ( pagoda) and the cave temple. Dageba is small in size and around 800 years old. The cave temple has many Buddha statues and nice paintings. Roof of the cave is painted with beautiful flower decorations and floor has a slope because its located in side the cave.
You have climb another 150 steps to reach the top level. The stairs are bit steep. You will see a Dageba and another Cave temple also on the top level. This Dageba seems built or renovate recent times. You will get a good view of the surrounding area. According to information, there are 12 caves in the site, but we didn't noticed all.
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Trails
The mountain is located in the southern reaches of the Central Highlands, in the Ratnapura district of the Sabaragamuwa Province - lying about 40 km northeast of the city of Ratnapura. The surrounding region is largely forested hills, with no mountain of comparable size nearby. The region along the mountain is a wildlife reserve housing many species varying from elephants to leopards, and including many endemic species.
