Riverstan, Mathale

One of the hill top of Knuckles, located in Matale district, 142 kilometers from Colombo. The middle of Rattota – Pallegama road. The path from Rattota, consists of 14 bends up to Riverstan. It is one of several hill tops in the Knuckles range being located in a windy gap on a range of scenic mountains with frequently changing climate; Riverstan was highly popular with foreign & local travelers. Two telecommunication towers were setup on the both summits of the Riverstan Mountain. The access road for them was a private one and no vehicles were allowed beyond the Riverstan gap. The climate was changed in every minute, Sometimes it brought little sun rays, and sometime cool wind, but most of the time with a thick mist & the wind was blowing briskly, really that was an amazing. The forest was consisted with pigmy trees. “Maha rewla” (Old man’s beard) and many orchids were driven out their loneliness. The mist was gained them a fresh & wet look for ever. It was an eye-catching view of Pitawala pathana & paddy fields of lonely villages in the Knuckles range. Since the surrounding was covered with a shawl of mist, there is a tiny waterfall in Bamarakiriella village close to Riverstan.

Ambuluwawa Temple

Gampola ,Sri Lanka. It is 5 km away from Gampola to hemmathagama road .Ambuluwawa is the First Multi religious centre and bio diversity complex of Sri Lanka.

The peak of this wounderful mountian has a buddhist temple,a hindu kovil and a mosque.

Ambuluwawa bio diversity center is inaugurated by Hon.D.M. jayarathna. Ambuluwa is maintained  by Ambuluwawa development and conservation autority.

This center is situated  at about 3567 ft  above sea level Ambuluwava provided enjoyment of beauty of nature and reserch opportunities. there is a cool climate  like sri padaya  there are uniformly spread ever green forests Surrounding the Ambuluwawa mountain

Ambuluwawa is considered a top tourist attraction in Sri Lanka. lot of  locals visiters and  tourists come to see this  beautiful landscaped garden.if you visit in Gampola,Sri Lanka Ambuluwa is great place to visit. Below are some picture of Ambuluwawa mountain which are taken by me at the Ambuluwawa 

Kaluwala Ella

Deraniyagala – Noori Road is dotted with many waterfalls, Some known and many un named and unknown. Unfortunately water on the most of these waterfalls have been diverted to mini hydro power plants reducing the water volumes on these waterfalls. Therefore these waterfalls are best viewed during the rainy season when the water volumes are at highest.

The Kaluwala Ella Falls on Kadiran Oya in the area of Polgaswatte is one of such waterfalls known only by the locals flowing unseen away from the Noori Road.

The Kadiran Oya creates a string of waterfalls in the Polgaswatte area.  The first waterfall on this sting is Rakka Ella Fall meaning Rack fall. The waterfall flows over a formation of rock which resembles a wide stair way.  The stream the goes around a U shaped bend and creates the two segment Kaluwala Ella Falls which is about 4 meters in height . This is fall lies about 150 meters away from the Rakka Ella Fall. The stream continues further 75 meters downstream and creates the Wee Kotana Ella Fall which is approximately 5 meters in height.

This waterfall is not listed in the database of Lanka Council of Waterfalls (LCWF).

Wolvendaal Church

The Dutch word Wolvendaal means the ‘Dale of Wolves’ and it relates to an area outside the Fort of Colombo in Sri Lanka which was in the 17th century covered with swamps and marshland. Animals identified as wolves (in fact they were

jackals!) used to roam here unhindered. In the middle of this area, on a hill overlooking Colombo, stands the majestic Wolvendaal Church. Built in 1749, it is one of the oldest Protestant churches still in use on the island and considered one of the most beautiful and historically interesting churches of South Asia.

In January 2005 the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) established the Wolvendaal Foundation. Its ultimate aim is to further cordial relations between the various races and religions on the island. The Dutch Reformed Church itself is a showpiece of peaceful co-existence as it comprises Singhalese, Tamil and Burgher congregations harmoniously working together.

The Foundation focuses on the renovation, maintenance and improvement of the historic Dutch churches and monuments on the island and the development of community projects without consideration of race, religion or colour. The historic buildings comprise the Wolvendaal Church at Colombo, the Groote Kerk located in the Dutch Fort of Galle, the churches at Matara and Kalpitya as well as the Cayman's Gate Belfry at Pettah, Colombo.
The Wolvendaal website provides information about the Foundation and its activities. It also gives the history of the Dutch Period in Ceylon as well as particulars of the historic churches and monuments owned by the Dutch (Christian) Reformed Church of Sri Lanka.

Red Masjid- All Jamiul Alfar Masjid

This historical place of worship known as JAMIUL ALFAR JUMMAH MASJID is referred as SAMMAN KOTTU PALLI in pure Tamil, RATHU PALLIYA in Sinhala and RED MASJID in English is situated in the Muslim concentrated business area of PETTAH (PURAOKOTTAI - Second Cross Street) Colombo.

If necessity is the mother of invention, so be it with the establishment of this MASJID. The devout Muslims needed a place to pray five times a day, this brought about a construction of a common place of worship in 1908, the traveling business Muslims, our forefathers from India realized the need came forward to fulfill this by building the MASJID in the area. It is important not to forget our forefather's dedication and contribution towards building a place of worship which till date has only increased the number of fellow Muslims in the area and the spirit of Islam almost making a stamp of our religion in the area. We pray to Allah to take these pioneers our ancestors into

Gangaramaya Temple

Run by one of Sri Lanka’s more politically adept monks, Galboda Gnanissara Thera, this bustling temple complex has a library, a museum and an extraordinarily eclectic array of bejewelled and gilded gifts presented by devotees and well-wishers over the years (plus one lonely and chained temple elephant named Ganga). Gangaramaya is the focus of the Navam Perahera on the February poya (full-moon) day each year. This is the centre for the most extravagant Vesak celebrations in Colombo.

Area Waikkal

Is a beautiful mix of sandy beaches and lush mangroves that thrive along its river and lagoon.
Waikkal is a great holiday destination, offering a charming blend of the traditional and the contemporary. Located on the west coast, Waikkal is ideal for delectable seafood and exciting boat rides for the whole family through its canals and lagoon. This area is home to a unique mangrove eco-system, providing ample opportunity for bird and butterfly watching. For some lively local colour, visit the Sunday fair at the Kochikade village in Waikkal.

DUTCH CANAL

The boat ride/safari that takes you along the old Dutch canal which runs through Waikkal, gives you snap shots of bird life, essentially comprising waders, stunning kingfishers, rare pied kingfishers, bee-eaters, Brahminy kites, etc. Water monitors, bearing an uncanny resemblance to crocodiles, are also bound to make an appearance, so keep your eye out for a glimpse! You can prolong your boat journey by following the canal onto the sea, where you can continue onwards to Negombo where you can hop into the town, do some shopping and return via boat to Waikkal.

HISTORIC CHURCHES AND TEMPLES NEAR THE AREA – WAIKKAL
Waikkal area has a spectrum of Temples, Churches and Mosques dating back to colonial era and beyond. If you have an eye for architecture and an appreciation for different cultures, then this is a place to wander about and visit these places of worship. Some key places to visit are: Angurukaramulla Buddhist Temple with a recorded history from 1868 and houses the largest statue of Buddha in the area; Pillayar Hindu Temple with a recorded history of 250 years which is likely to be the oldest Hindu Temple in Negombo; St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church built by Portuguese in 1570 which was subsequently destroyed and rebuilt by the Dutch in 1814; St. Stephen’s Anglican Church consecrated in 1879 situated next to the remnants of the Dutch Fort; Negombo Grand Mosque built in 1974.