WONDER OF
SABARAGAMUWA

Top 12 Best Places In Sabaragamuwa



1 . Sri Padaya(Adam's Peak)

Adam's Peak is a 2,243 m (7,359 ft) tall conical sacred mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It is well known for the Sri Pada (Śrī Pāda ; Sinhala: ශ්‍රී පාද, 'sacred footprint'), a 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) rock formation near the summit whose name is also used for the mountain itself. In Buddhist tradition the print is held to be the footprint of the Buddha, in Sri Lankan Hindu tradition that of Hanuman or Shiva (its Tamil name, சிவனொளிபாதமலை, Sivanolipaathamalai, means 'Mountain of Shiva's Light'), and in some Islamic and Christian traditions that of Adam or St. Thomas. The mountain is also known as Mount Malaya in Buddhist sources, particularly the Mahayana Lankavatara Sutra, which states that the Buddha preached this sutra on top of the mountain. According to this sutra, the mountain was the abode of Rāvanā, overlord of the Raskshasas and ruler of Laṅkā. Other names in Sanskrit sources include Mount Lanka, Ratnagiri (Mountain of Gems), Malayagiri (Mount Malaya) or Mount Rohana.

Location : Sri Padaya





2 . Maha Saman Dewalaya

Maha Saman Devalaya or the Great Saman Temple (also called Sumana Saman Devalaya) is a shrine dedicated to deity Saman, situated at Ratnapura, Sri Lanka who is the presiding deity of the Sri Pada Mountain which is also called Samanthakuta meaning the mountain of Saman which is believed to have the left foot impression of Buddha which he kept in his visit to Sri Lanka.

Location : Maha Saman Dewalaya







3 . Bopath Ella

The name "Bopath Ella" has been given to the waterfall because of its shape. The water flows through a narrow gap in the rocks and then widens, forming the shape of a leaf of a "Bo" tree which is the Sinhalese name for sacred fig (Ficus religiosa). "Path" means leaves of a tree and "Ella" means waterfall. Virgin forests with a rich biodiversity surround the waterfall. Bopath Ella is 30 metres (98 ft) high. It is formed from the Kuru Ganga, which is a tributary of the Kalu Ganga. Its mean rate of flow is 6 square metres (65 sq ft) per second, and its catchment area receives an average rainfall of 5,080 millimetres (200 in) annually. Water from the falls is used for paddy cultivation. Bopath Ella is also the most comprehensively studied waterfall in the country.

Location : Bopath Ella





4 . Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a forest reserve and a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO.[1] According to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Sinharaja is the country's last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. Over 60% of the trees are endemic, many of them considered rare. 50% of Sri Lankan's endemics species of animals (especially butterfly, amphibians, birds, snakes and fish species)[clarification needed]. It is home to 95% endemic birds. The hilly virgin rainforest, part of the Sri Lanka lowland rain forests ecoregion, was saved from the worst of commercial logging by its inaccessibility, and was designated a World Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World Heritage Site in 1988. Because of the dense vegetation, wildlife is not as easily seen as at dry-zone national parks such as Yala. The most common larger mammal is the endemic purple-faced . Sinharaja forest cover of Sinharaja Birds tend to move in mixed feeding flocks, invariably led by the fearless Sri Lanka drongo and the noisy orange-billed babbler. Of Sri Lanka's 26 endemic birds, the 20 rainforest species all occur here, including the elusive red-faced malkoha, green-billed coucal and Sri Lanka blue magpie.

Location : Sinharaja Forest Reserve



5 . Gem Museum

WELCOME TO DHANAJA GEM MUSEUM - RATNAPURA Dhanaja gemmological museum in Ratnapura is one of the largest, reputed and well established business institutions dealing with the sale of gems and jewellery items. Dhanaja Gem Museum is licensed by the Ceylon Gem Corporation and is a Sri Lankan Tourist Board approved Gem Museum.

Location : Ratnapura Gem Museum







6 . Ehelepola Walauwa

Ehelepola Walauwa (ඇල්ලේපොල වලව්ව) was the ancestral home (or walauwa) of Ehelepola Disawe and his family and is located in Kandy, Sri Lanka. In Sinhalese, walauwa refers to a feudal/colonial manor house or ancestral residence of a native Ceylonese headmen.[2] The walauwa were traditionally associated with the homes of the courtiers (radala), members of the royal court in Kandy. It was displaced by their colonial equivalents following the dissolution of the Kingdom of Kandy by the British.[3][4] Ehelepola Nilame (1773 – 1829) was a courtier of the Kingdom of Kandy. He was the first Adigar (a role which combined the powers of a prime minister and a chief justice) from 1811 to 1814 under the reign King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. He was appointed by the king as the Disawe (local governor) of Sabaragamuva. In 1814 when the king believed he failed to suppress an uprising in Sabaragamuva he sent his forces to capture Ehelepola, who fled from Ratnapura to the British-occupied port of Kalutara. The king retaliated by brutally executing his wife, Kumarihamy and his four children, Loku Bandara, Madduma Bandara, Tikiri Manike and Dingiri Menike.[5] Ehelepola then aided the British in launching an invasion of the Kingdom of Kandy and was instrumental in the Kandyan Convention that followed in March 1815, which led to the annexing of Kingdom of Kandy as part of the British Empire.[6] Ehelepola offered his Walauwa to the Maha Sangha.

Location : Ehelepola Walauwa





7 . Batadombalena

Batadombalena is an archaeological site with evidence of habitation from 8,000 years BCE, Balangoda Man, located 85 km (52.8 mi) from Colombo in Sri Lanka, a two-hour drive from Colombo. The Batadombalena archaeological site contains evidence of habitation from as early as 8,000 years BCE and is one of the sites whose discoveries support the "Out of Africa" hypothesis, according to Professor Paul Mellars, a Cambridge University archaeologist. Among the evidence of Balangoda Man he unearthed at the site were stone tools that are interpreted as arrow - or spearheads and carefully shaped and perforated beads made from ostrich eggshell fragments. One particular piece of an ostrich eggshell, incised with a distinctive criss-cross motif, has also been discovered. Batadombalena Cave has a size of roughly 50 ft × 60 ft × 80 ft (15 m × 18 m × 24 m).

Location : Batadombalena





8 . Diva Guhava

The Batatotalena (Batatota Cave), also known as the Diva Guhava (Day Cave) in Buddhist literature, is a cave system in Sudagala, 8 km (5 mi) away from the town of Kuruwita, in the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. The cave measures approximately 15 m (49 ft) high, 18 m (59 ft) wide, and 25 m (82 ft) in length, totalling the internal cave area to 6,800 m3 (240,000 cu ft). Accessing the cave involves a 400 m (1,300 ft) hike from Sudagala, and an additional 50 m (160 ft) climb to reach the cave entrance. Approximately 30 m (98 ft) from the cave is another partially submerged cave, which is accessible after a 20 m (66 ft) swim. In Buddhism, it is believed to be the cave in which the Buddha spent the day after placing his footprint on Adam's Peak, from where he supposedly proceeded to Dighavapi.

Location : Diva Guhava





9 . Kuragala

Kuragala (Sinhala: කූරගල) is a pre-historic archaeological site consisting of an early human settlement during the late Pleistocene period and ruins of ancient Buddhist Cave temple complex, dating back to the 2nd century BC, in Balangoda, Sri Lanka. The temple complex is located on the Balangoda - Kaltota road (B38) approximately 24 km (15 mi) distance from the Balangoda town. The site has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological reserve in Sri Lanka. Kuragala is considered as the oldest archaeological site found in the Intermediate Zone.

Location : Kuragala









10 . Samanala Dam

The Samanala Dam (Sinhala: සමනලවැව වේල්ල) is a dam primarily used for hydroelectric power generation in Sri Lanka. Commissioned in 1992, the Samanalawewa Project (Samanala Reservoir Project) is the third-largest hydroelectric scheme in the country, producing 405 GWh of energy annually. It was built with financial support from Japan and the United Kingdom. It is notable for a large leak on its right bank. Power production continues as planned despite the leakage, and the water from the leak now provides two thirds of the water issued by the reservoir for agriculture in downstream areas.

Location : Samanala Dam







11 . Kukule Dam

The Kukule Ganga Dam is a 110 m (360 ft) gravity dam built across the Kukule River in Kalawana, Sri Lanka. The run-of-river dam feeds an underground hydroelectric power station located approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) away, via tunnel.

Location : Samanala Dam









12. Gem Market

The gemstone was found in the gem-rich Ratnapura area where the world’s largest star sapphire cluster was found in a backyard. Ratnapura ("City of gems") is worldwide known for its rich gemstones, which are found since hundreds of years in the region around Ratnapura.

Location : Gem Market

App : Gem City Sri Lanka













Where Is Ratnapura Located?












Population



166.00K Population Recorded At 2022











Climate



Ratnapura features a tropical rainforest climate under the Köppen climate classification. The city is located in the south-western part of Sri Lanka,
the so-called wet zone. The town receives rainfall mainly from south-western monsoons from May to September. During the remaining months of the year,
there is also considerable precipitation due to convective rains. The average annual precipitation is about 3,500 to 5,000 millimetres (140 to 200 in).
The average temperature varies from 24 to 35 °C (75.2 to 95.0 °F), and there are high humidity levels. The city is 21 m (69 ft) above sea level.



Climate Data Ratnapura (1991–2020)









Distance To Ratnapura





1
2

From Katunayake Airport To Ratnapura

via Panadura-Nambapana-Ratnapura Hwy/PNR Hwy/Ratnapura - Horana - Panadura Hwy/A8

Distance : 121km

2 Hours 40 Min

Location: Katunayake Airport To Ratnapura







Best Hotels In Ratnapura




1.Centauria Hill Resort



Location : Centauria Hill Resort










2.Rest House Ratnapura



Location : Ratnapura Rest House










3.Palamino Ratnapura



Location : Ratnapura Palamino










4.Silver Ray Grand Ratnapura



Location : Ratnapura Silver Ray Grand










5.Sinharaja Forest Gate Ratnapura



Location : Sinharaja Forest Gate Ratnapura










6.Hotel Minara Ratnapura



Location : Hotel Minara, Bopath Ella, Kuruvita