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Kelani Ganga: The holy river- BY MAHIL WIJESINGHE The river forms a stunning background scenery with the Sri Pada mountain range at Hanwella in the background Source:Sundayobserver The Kelani Ganga is not merely a river. It has holiness beyond humanity. The river is connected closely with the Sinhala Buddhist culture and religion, especially for the people living in the area known as the Kelani Valley. This derives primarily from the fact that the Kelani Ganga is associated with two of the most venerated Buddhist shrines, Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) and the Kelani Raja Maha Vihara, trod by the Buddha during his third visit to the country. He is said to have bathed in the Kelani Ganga before stepping on the ground where the temple of Kelaniya now stands. He also put his footprint on the summit of the Sri Pada mountain where the river springs out, on the invitation of ...