History atop a hillock-TEXT & PIX BY MAHIL WIJESINGHE The Kiripokuna waterhole, a perennial source of water Source:Sundayobserver Kiripokunahela, another magnificent archaeological site in the Southeast, was the next port off call on the Kumana tour. Near inaccessible because of the jungle overgrowth, Kiripokunahela lies on a flat-topped rocky boulder, nearly 260 feet above the Kumana jungle. The site is located about three kilometres East of Bambaragastalawa and eight kilometres from the main park office at Okanda. The jungle terrain and its location within the Kumana National Park make it one of the least visited archaeological sites. Not surprisingly, it is not included in any of the safari itineraries of the Park. Official rarely give permission to visit the site, since there is no motorable access way. It is too risky to walk the half kilometre in the thick jungle. Initially, we too were denied permission. However, our persuasive ways ...
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A deserted and forgotten world-BY MAHIL WIJESINGHE Source:Sundayobserver Our destination was Bambaragasthalawa in the Yala East National Park and it was a six-member group. After venerating the Okanda temple, we reached the entrance of Kumana National Park. Entering the park, we were fortunate to see a Black Necked Stork in one of the lagoons. We were briefed by our guide that there were only seven in the entire country. Crocodiles, wild buffaloes, eagles, tuskers, wild boar, deer and many kinds of birds caught our attention as we drove along muddy holes and the sandy tracks of Kumana jungle to reach our destination. A routine trip to Kumana to enjoy not only the fauna and flora but also visit the ancient ruins, artifacts and archaeological monuments led to a tragic discovery. This was our second trip to Kumana. Our maiden journey was in 2013, when we explored ancient archaeological sites such ...
