Dunhinda Ella Falls at Badulla : Bridal Falls (දුන්හිඳ ඇල්ල)

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Height (in metres)63
DistrictBadulla

Dunhinda is considered to be one of the most enchanting falls in Sri Lanka and is in close proximity to Badulla town. The water resembles a thin cloud as it cascades 63m downwards into a large pool. The backdrop to the fall is known as ‘Dunhinda Adaviya’. ‘Dunhinda’ translates to ‘spraying/vapour waterfall’ – the word ‘dun’ means ‘gave/was given’, while ‘hinda’ means ‘evaporate’.

This fall is steeped in history. The area was once inhabited by indigenous people – the Veddha tribe. During the time of King Rajasinhe, a giant fern got stuck at the top of the fall, between two mountains. This acted as a dam, which resulted in the flooding of Badulla town.

Seeing the gravity of the situation, the king entrusted the task of clearing the sluice to a person named ‘Ranhavadidaraya’. After toiling for three months he managed to clear the water and the town re-emerged. The fern was swept away but got stuck again at a place now known as Pussellawa (‘pus’ meaning fern).

Another legend of Veddahs is that in a nearby ancient cave where the Veddahs of Bintanne lived, a could deed had been committed and the victims still scream for vengeance from time to time.

When King Senarath (1604-1635) ruled the country from Kandy, the country was divided into three sub-kingdoms and appointed three sub-kings. Kumarasinghe (1629- 1636 AC) was the regional king of Uva and he was the son of King Senarath of Kandy. King Kumarasinghe ruled the area from the Palace he built in Badulla. Villagers believe that the treasures belonging to Regional King Kumarasinghe lie hidden at the bottom of the pool and the guardians of the treasure take a human sacrifice every year. It is also believed that there is an eel wearing a golden earring at the bottom of this pool (Kautzsch, 2003).

Yet another folklore among the elders in the area dates to the 14th century during the Gampola kingdom. Mampitiya Anuhas Menik Bandara, the princess of the Gampola lineage was romantically involved with a commoner called Kahapitiye Arachchi Bandara. She fled from her palace with her lover to avoid the wrath of her father. The couple was tracked to the village of Kosgolla, by the Dunhinda waterfall. Rather than being captured they climbed to the top of the waterfall. Declaring their love for each other, the couple hurled themselves into the abyss below. That night a fierce storm shocked the nearby land for miles. Whole villages were swept away including the hamlet of Kosgolla. Over the shirking of the wind, the voice of Menik Bandara was heard crying for vengeance. According to them, even today during high storms, the screams of Menik Bandara can be heard over the whistling of wind and roaring flood waters (Kautzsch, 2003).

Dunhinda was the first fall on the island where a fee was introduced to view it. This applies to both local and foreign visitors.

Dunhinda Falls is 5km from Badulla town and the fall lies on the Badulu Oya which falls onto to Mahaweli River. From the main highway, it is a tortuous but enjoyable 1km walk to the waterfall. This trail takes about 45 minutes. Therefore at least 2 hours need to be allocated for this visit.

This access path to the waterfall is open from 7 AM to 5 PM. To enter a nominal fee of LKR 20 is charged from locals and LKR 200 is charged from foreigners. Halfway down the walking path, you will come across another waterfall below the main waterfall. This is called Kuda Dunhinda Falls (Lesser Dunhinda Falls) – see photos below. Both these waterfalls have viewing platforms to enjoy the view.

The Ella rest-house is 29km away.

References

  1. Kautzsch, E. (2003). A Guide to the Waterfalls of Sri Lanka (2nd ed.). Tisara Prakasakayo.

Also See

Map of  Dunhinda Ella Falls

Please click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map (ගූගල් සිතියම් පහලින්)
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The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

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Travel Directions to Dunhinda Ella Falls

Badulla town lies 3.5 km further down the Mahiyangana-Badulla Road. From the last point, you need to walk approximately 1.2 km through a mountainous track to reach the waterfall. This is a safe and frequently used path due to the popularity of the fall.

Route 1 from Colombo Dunhinda Falls Route 2 from Colombo to Dunhinda Falls
Through : Ratnapura – Balangoda – Haputale – Bandarawela
Distance : 225 km
Travel time : 5 hours
Driving directions : see on google map
Through : Kandy – Tannekumbura – Mahaweli Raja Mawatha – Mahiyangana/Badulla Road
Distance : 225 km
Travel time : 5 hours
Driving directions : see on google map

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