Ravana Ella and Ravana Cave – entwined in myth and legend

By Arundathie Abeysinghe

Cascading from a height of 25 meters grandly down many rock faces from an oval-shaped concave rocky outcrop, Ravana Ella (Ella meaning waterfall in Sinhala) or Ravana Falls is the source of many myths and legends. Ravana Ella is one of the widest waterfalls in Sri Lanka and also a major tourist attraction.

This waterfall is situated in Ravana Ella Wildlife Sanctuary about six kilometers from *Ella Railway Station on the road towards south of Sri Lanka through Ella Gap. It is linked to the Hindu epic *Ramayana – a historic tale that is based in India and Sri Lanka. According to Ramayana, the waterfall is named after the famous king, King Ravana who kidnapped Princess Sita from India and hid her in the caves behind the waterfall.

The waterfall is surrounded by lush vegetation and wilderness.

There is a beautiful pool with crystal clear water at the bottom of the waterfall used as a natural pool by many tourists. According to legends, Sita had bathed in this pool.

Breathtaking majesty of the waterfall combined with the legends and anecdotes associated with the waterfall enchant a tourist to visit the site and gaze at its spectacular sight for many hours. Ravana Ella is one of the best documented natural wonders of Sri Lanka entrenched in folklore for centuries.

During the wet season in Ella, the shape of the waterfall changes and villagers say that it resembles an arecanut flower (flower of areca palm – areca catechu) with withering petals.

This waterfall is located near the village of Udunuwara on the Ella-Wellawaya Road.

According to legend, Ravana kidnapped Sita and hid her in the cave behind the waterfall. The caves behind the falls are known as the Ravana Caves. This incident led to the famous battle between Rama and Ravana in the epic Ramayana. Rama launched a lengthy battle against Ravana to rescue his wife Sita.

Ravana Cave is a small cave located two kilometers from *Ella on the Ella-Wellawaya Road. It measures about 16 meters in width, 46 meters in length and 18 meters in height. Inside the Cave, there are several other caves.

This cave is entwined in the Ramayana legend. According to legends, Princess Sita, the beautiful wife of Indian Prince Rama (Rama is considered as an avatar of the Hindu God Vishnu) was imprisoned in the Cave before she was relocated to Ashok Vatika Pleasure Garden in *Nuwara Eliya.

Ravana Cave is situated in a breathtaking environment with views of Little Adam’s Peak. According to locals, the mountain situated in close proximity to the Cave is King Ravana’s Surya Namaskar Ritual Point.

According to locals, in the past, the Cave has been used as an entrance to a 11 kilometer subterranean tunnel which connected Dowa Rock Temple in *Bandarawela and Bogoda Temple in *Hali-ela, a section of King Walagamba’s (103 BC and 89-77 BC)‘tunnel network’.

Ravana Cave is an archaeologically important cave. According to excavations undertaken by the Department of Archaeology, there had been 10 skeletons of the cannibalistic Balangoda Man (Homo sapiens Balangodenis) in the Cave. Excavations at the site have revealed that there had been human habitation dating back to 25000 years.

According to folklore, there had been traces of someone being imprisoned in the Cave. Entwined in folklore and history, the Cave is a popular tourist attraction.

Directions to Ravana Ella: Five kilometers from Ella on Ella – Wellawaya Road

Directions to Ravana Cave: A short hike of around 500 meters from Ella – Wellawaya Road

• Badulla – Situated in lower central hills, Badulla is the capital city of *Uva Province and Badulla District.
• Bandarawela – Situated 28 kilometers from Badulla, this is the second largest town in Badulla District.
• Ella – Situated at an elevation of 1041 meters above sea level amid lush green forests, rolling carpets of tea and breathtaking mountains, Ella is a small town in the *Badulla District of *Uva Province. Popular among local and foreign tourists, Ella has a mild climate and a laid-back atmosphere.
• Hali ela – A Divisional Secretariat of Badulla District of Uva Province.
• Nuwara Eliya – Located at an altitude of 1868 meters at a distance of 180 kilometers from Colombo, Nuwara Eliya is a town in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka. With a British country village atmosphere and a cool climate, Nuwara Eliya was the favorite holiday destination of English and Scottish tea planters during the British Colonial Era. At present, it is the favorite hill country destination of locals during April.
• Ramayana – This is an ancient Indian epic composed in 500 BCE to 100 BCE by Indian sage Valmiki. This epic composed in Sanskrit describes the conquest of Sri Lanka in 3000 BC by Prince Rama (Prince of Ayodhya, the eldest and favorite son of King Dasaratha, King of Ayodhya. Rama is an incarnation of God Vishnu) who fought with demon King Ravana (legendary emperor of Sri Lanka) to rescue his wife Princess Sita. Prince Rama was exiled with his wife Princess Sita due to a plot by his stepmother Kaikeyi. Princess Sita was abducted by King Ravana when Rama and Sita were in exile.
• Uva Province – This is the fourth largest province in Sri Lanka bordered by Central, Eastern and Southern provinces.