Mysterious Halaba Bridge in Badulla By Arundathie Abeysinghe   This spectacular mysterious steel bridge is located across Uma Oya at Halaba, a small village located near Uma Oya (Oya meaning stream in Sinhala) in *Badulla in close proximity to breathtaking hamlet*Ella. It is 113 meters (372 feet) long. The bridge is built at the widest points of Uma Oya, approximately 91 meters (300 feet) wide and 7-12 meters (25-40 feet) deep.  The two ends of the Bridge are approximately three meters wide (10 feet) and the mid portion is approximately two meters (8 feet) wide. The Bridge is considered as a mysterious bridge as there are no roads (there had never been any roads even in the past) except a footpath on either side of the bridge.  This bridge had been installed by British during the British Colonial Era, but the reason for installing this bridge is not known. According ...

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Bogoda Wooden Bridge – oldest surviving wooden bridge in Sri Lanka By Arundathie Abeysinghe   Situated in Hali-Ela in Badulla, Bogoda Wooden Bridge dates to 1600s, but the temple adjoining the Bridge dates to the first century BC. The covered wooden bridge was built across the *Gallanda Oya, (Oya meaning stream in Sinhala), a branch of Uma Oya in *Badulla District; a tributary of the *Mahaweli River which is on an ancient route that linked Badulla and Kandy in the past. According to folklore, the Bridge was built for Buddhist Pilgrims from Badulla to cross the rock strewn Gallanda Oya on their way to Kandy to worship at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.                                                            The wooden railings on both sides of the Bridge are decorated with elaborate ornamental work influenced by the art and crafts of the *Kandyan Era. The Kandyan style clay shingle roof is supported by ...

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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 ...

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