Mana Ella Waterfall / Manawala Ella (මානා ඇල්ල)

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Height :	23 meters
District :	Badulla

The 23m Mana Ella Falls (also called Manawala Ella, Manawela Ella) is set amongst lush tea plantations. The fall’s upper reach is made up of seven stone basins. Water flows over these and in turn, onto and over the Welimada Plateau to the end of the Uma River valley, creating the twin fall. One of the streams cascades freely as the other impacts with a rock creating a fan of water that is said to resemble a peacock’s feathers.

The fall is said to be where bygone kings spent their leisure time. According to folklore, it was here that the virgins of ancient King Walagamba bathed as he sat contentedly and watched. Nevertheless, the most probable is that it is said that the regional king called Manabharana ruled from this area. This waterfall has been their bathing place and a palace has been built at the top of the falls.

According to another folklore, an old king dammed the river in its upper reaches and deposited a great treasure in a hollowed-out rock cavity. The villagers believe that this treasure lies secure behind the vail of water (Kautzsch, 2003).

Until recently an inscription of a crown and a chain could be found on a nearby stone seat, thought to date back to such days. Other ruins of the palace can be seen at the top of the fall but these ruins have fallen victim to the destructiveness of treasure looters. Today you can see the ruins of the ancient Amuna across the stream along with the canal which carried the water out from the stream and a seat cut from the living rock.

It has been reported that the top of the waterfall is heavily polluted by pesticide bottles thrown by potato farmers up steam. Hundreds of bottles empty of pesticides are stuck at the Amuna.

Mana Ella Falls lies in the Badulla District, on the Welimada – Pussellawa road at Lunuwatte.

References

Kautzsch, E. (2003). A Guide to the Waterfalls of Sri Lanka (2nd ed.). Tisara Prakasakayo.
Lanka Council On Waterfalls. (n.d.). Lanka Council On Waterfalls. http://www.srilankanwaterfalls.net/

Also See

Waterfalls of Sri Lanka
Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity

Map of Mana Ella Falls

Please click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map (ගූගල් සිතියම් පහලින්)

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Travel Directions to Mana Ella Falls

To reach the base of the fall you need to walk through a slippery turpentine patch.

Route from Welimada to Mana Ella	Route from Bandarawela to Mana Ella
Through : Ambagasduwa – Lunuwatte Distance : 12 km Travel time : 30 minutes Driving directions : see on bing map ( road not available on google map)	Through : Welimada – Ambagasduwa – Lunuwatte Distance : 33 km Travel time : 1 hour Driving directions : see on bing map ( road not available on google map)

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References

Also See

Map of Mana Ella Falls

Travel Directions to Mana Ella Falls

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