Exploring the Botanical Gardens of Sri Lanka

Hakgala Botanical Garden - හක්ගල උද්භිද උද්‍යානය — Hakgala Botanical Garden – හක්ගල උද්භිද උද්‍යානය

Sri Lanka, often referred to as the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean,” is renowned for its rich biodiversity and lush landscapes. Among the natural attractions this island nation offers are its botanical gardens, which serve as centres for preserving a wide variety of plant species. These gardens are more than just places of beauty; they are centres of conservation, research, and education. Each botanical garden in Sri Lanka has its unique charm and significance, reflecting the island’s diverse flora and historical commitment to plant conservation.

The botanical gardens of Sri Lanka serve multiple purposes: they are sanctuaries for endangered plant species, laboratories for scientific research, and peaceful retreats for visitors. Established during different periods, primarily under British colonial rule, these gardens have grown and evolved, contributing significantly to the understanding and appreciation of tropical and subtropical plants.

Visitors to these gardens can expect to encounter a vast array of plant life, from exotic orchids and towering palms to ancient trees and delicate ferns. The gardens are meticulously maintained and designed to showcase the natural beauty and ecological importance of Sri Lanka’s flora. Moreover, they offer a serene environment where one can escape the hustle and bustle of daily life, making them perfect for leisurely strolls, educational tours, and nature photography.

Whether you are a botanist, a nature enthusiast, or simply someone looking to enjoy a tranquil day surrounded by nature, the botanical gardens of Sri Lanka promise a fulfilling experience. They are living museums that celebrate the island’s natural heritage and play a crucial role in promoting environmental awareness and sustainability.

Entrance Fees for Botanical Gardens of Sri Lanka (Local and Foreign)

Description	LKR
Local Adults	200
Local Children below 12 years and School Children	30
Local Adults over 60 (NIC proof needed)	50
Foreign Adults	3000
Foreign School and University Students ((Must have satisfactory proof)	2000
Foreign Children (5 to 12 years)	1500
Electric Cars (4 seater) – 1 hour ride	1000
Electric Cars (8 seater) – 1 hour ride	2000
Vehicle Parking	charged

(2023-06-01 Revision)

Electric Cars and other facilities are available only in certain locations and prices may be increased regularly.

List of Botanical Gardens of Sri Lanka

Garden	Date Established
Henarathgoda Botanical Garden	1876
Peradeniya Botanical Garden	1821 (However this was the Royal Garden of the Kandyan kings since King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe (1747 – 1781) of Kandy,
Seethawaka Botanical Garden	2014
Hambantota Dry Zone Botanical Gardens	2013
Hakgala Botanical Garden	1860

Gampaha Henarathgoda Botanical Gardens (ගම්පහ හෙනරත්ගොඩ උද්භිද උද්‍යානය)

Gampaha Henarathgoda Botanic Gardens is the first Rubber nursery in South Asia and it was from the founding stock of this nursery that the rubber tree was introduced to other South Asian countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and South India.
Hakgala Botanical Garden (හක්ගල උද්භිද උද්‍යානය)

Hakgala Botanical Garden is one of the three botanical gardens in Sri Lanka and the 2nd largest, The garden was establised in 1831 and lies 16 km off Nuwara Eliya
Hambantota Dry Zone Botanical Gardens (හම්බන්තොට වියළි කලාපීය උද්භිද උද්‍යානය)

The Dry Zone Botanic Gardens in Mirijjawila, Hambantota consist of plants, trees and herbal plants that are grown in the dry zone. Areas for a butterfly garden, a plant nursery, a student park, a plant conservation unit, a flower garden, and ornamental bushes have been separately developed.
Peradeniya Botanical Gardens (පේරාදෙනිය උද්භිද උද්‍යානය)

Situated in a loop of the Mahaweli River and 6 km west of Kandy, site of Peradeniya Botanical Gardens was a seat of power between 1371 and 1377, during the time of the itinerant capitals, however nothing remains from this period today.
Seethawaka Botanical Gardens (සීතාවක තෙත් කලාපීය උද්භිද උද්‍යානය)

Seethawaka (Sitawaka) Wet Zone Botanical Gardens was opened in 2014 covering 106 acres ( 43 hectares) with the primary purpose of serving as a research area and a conservation area for threatened and vulnerable endemic plant species in the Sinharaja Rain Forest region.

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Degaldoruwa Pitiye Devale (දෙගල්දෝරුව පිටියේ දේවාලය)
Pitiye Deviyo is a powerful protector deity of Dumbara who had once defeated the deity Natha Deviyo who had fled in fear of him after a brief battle. The people of Dumbara fear and respect him as he is believed to protect the land, the crops, and the people who live in the area. He provides the rain on time for cultivation and dry weather for harvesting. […]
Tissamaharama Uduvila Gangarama Viharaya (තිස්සමහාරාම උඩුවිල ගංගාරාම විහාරය)
Despite the Uduvila Gangarama Viharaya temple's recent developments, there are still a few relics of the monastic complex from the Pre-Christian era. Near the stupa, you'll find a cluster of undressed stone pillars that once supported an ancient building. Additionally, the top portion of a massive Yupa Gala, and Gal Chatra is found nearby […]
Archaeological Ruins at Tissamaharama Poththewelagala Aranya Senasanaya (පොත්තේවෙලගල ආරණ්‍ය සේනාසනය)
The Poththewelagala Ruins are located in a scrub jungle, 2 kilometers southeast of Tissamaharama. The site can be reached from a gravel road 3.3 km down the Kirinda-Sithulpawwa Road. A black archaeology board by the roadside marks the direction of this gravel road. After driving 1 kilometre along this road and passing a model village, you will arrive at the ruins. […]
Tissamaharama Uddhakandara Rajamaha Viharaya (උද්ධකන්දර රජමහා විහාරය)
Uddhakandara Rajamaha Viharaya is a new temple in Tissamaharama built on an ancient monastic site going back to the pre-Christian era. The original temple is believed to have been built by regional king Mahanaga, the brother of King Devanmpiyatissa (250-210 BCE) who fled the Anuradhapura kingdom. […]
Thambarawa Wewa & Pre Historic Burial Site (තඹරව වැව හා ප්‍රාග් ඓතිහාසික සුසාන භූමිය)
Thambarawa is a small ancient reservoir situated 8 km southeast of Tissa, on the western border of the Yala National Park. The area is partly paddy fields and covered in forest on the southern side. The reservoir was restored for the last time in 2023. The bund of the Thambarawa Wewa is 640 meters long with spills on both sides of the bund. […]
Handapangala Wewa Reservoir (හඳපානාගල වැව ජලාශය)
Handapangala Wewa is a picturesque and peaceful haven located in the Wellawaya area popular among the travellers and photographers for the abundant elephants in the area especially during the dry season. The bund of the Handapanagala Wewa is 3600 feet (1.1 km) long and 19 feet (5.8 m) high. At full capacity, the water covers 450 acres and holds 5000 acre feet. […]
Empilipitiya Chandrika Wewa Reservoir (ඇඹිලිපිටිය චන්ද්‍රිකා වැව ජලාශය)
Empilipitiya Chandrika Wewa Reservoir, located in the Ratnapura District bordering Hambanthota District, is one of the largest reservoirs constructed after Ceylon gained independence. Chandrika wewa today is a magnet for the tourists and pilgrims to Kataragama seeking the scenic route rather than than the Southern Expressway. […]
Udawalawe Reservoir and the Dam (උඩවලවේ ජලාශය සහ වේල්ල)
The Udawalawe Reservoir, located in the Ratnapura and Hambantota Districts of Sri Lanka, is one of the country's largest and most significant water bodies. It was constructed in 1963, primarily to support agriculture and irrigation in the surrounding regions, which include Udawalawe, Embilipitiya, and Hambantota. […]
Hurulu Wewa Reservoir (හුරුළු වැව)
Hurulu Wewa ancient reservoir, originally known as Challura Vapi, was one of sixteen reservoirs constructed by King Mahasen, the renowned Sinhalese monarch who ruled over Lanka from 276 to 303 CE. The reservoir lies on Yan Oya in the remote village of Yakalla, between Anuradhapura and Habarana off Ritigala. […]
List of Adhigars of the Kandyan Kingdom (උඩරට රාජධානියේ අධිකාරම්වරු)
The title of Adhigar (Adigar) in the Kandyan Kingdom of Sri Lanka referred to a high-ranking official or noble who held significant administrative and judicial authority. In Sinhala, he is called the Adhikaram. The position was one of the most powerful in the Kandyan court, second only to the king himself. Adhigars were entrusted with overseeing various aspects of governance, including implementing laws, administering justice, and managing royal affairs. […]
Diyawadana Nilames of Kandy Dalada Maligawa
Diyawadana Nilame’ has the custody of the key to the first casket out of the seven golden caskets where the Sacred Tooth Relic is enshrined, as he is the lay custodian of the Sacred Tooth Relic. This position is recorded in the ‘Dathuwansa’, the chronicle of tooth relic, as ‘Dhathurakkadikari’. […]
Wendaruwa Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya (වෙඬරුව කිරිවෙහෙර රජමහා විහාරය)
The image house of Wendaruwa Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya is a rectangular Kandyan-style building with a verandah supported by 16 evenly spaced wooden pillars. The pillars are carved with alternating square and cylindrical sections, though these sections are plain and lack any decorative design. The pillars rest on a wooden frame constructed with large wooden beams placed atop the half-height outer wall of the image house. […]
Dimbulagala Dewagala Archaeological Ruins (දේවගල පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
These ruins are scattered across a rocky hill that stretches approximately 800 meters from north to south. The hill is surrounded on all sides by farmland. An irrigation canal and a paved road run along the eastern slope, making the western slopes the most accessible route to approach the rock by a vehicle. […]
Hulannuge Tharulengala Rajamaha Viharaya at Lahugala (හුලංනුගේ තරුලෙන්ගල රජමහා විහාරය)
Built by King Kanvantissa before the 2nd centenary BC, Hulan Nuge Tharulengala Raja Maha Viharaya ( Tharulengala Forest Hermitage) on a 633 feet high rocky hill called Karadahela in Lahugala Divisional secretariat in Ampara district is a fine example of the grandeur of the ancient Digamdulla heritage. […]
Yoda Wewa at Tissamaharama (තිස්සමහාරාම යෝධ වැව)
It is believed that this tank was built by King Mahanaga in the late 3rd Century BC and the Duratissa Wewa mentioned in the ancient texts is the current Yodha Wewa in Tissamaharama. […]
Tissamaharama Tissa Wewa: The First Oblique Dam in the World (තිස්සමහාරාම තිස්ස වැව)
The Tissa Wewa is one of the largest ancient irrigation tanks constructed the 3rd Century is considered the first Oblique Dam in the world […]
Pavatkulama (Pavakkulama) Reservoir in Vavuniya (වව්නියාවේ පාවක්කුලම වැව)
Pavakkulama Reservoir is the largest ancient reservoir found in Vavuniya district. According to a notice board installed by the Irrigation Department, Its embankment is 10,364 feet (3.2 km) long and has a gross capacity of 27,000 acre feet (33 million cubic meters). […]
Tissa Wewa Reservoir in Anuradhapura (අනුරාධපුර තිසා වැව)
Tissa Wewa was built by King Devanampiya Tissa.(250-210 BC). The embankment of Tissa Wewa is 11,000 feet long (Two miles) and 25 feet high.Tissa Wewa has an area of approximately 550 acres. […]
Basawakkulama Wewa (Abhaya Wewa) – First Reservoir to Be in the Recorded History of Sri Lanka (බසවක්කුලම වැව)
Basawakkulama Wewa First Reservoir to be in the recorded history of Sri Lanka today carries 174 hectares of water at the surface even after 2500 years, the tank still continue to supply water to Anuradhapura. […]
Sri Nagala Rajamaha Viharaya at Nikawewa (නිකවැව ශ්‍රී නාගල රජමහා විහාරය)
Lying amidst rows of coconut groves close to the Nugawela junction on the Chilaw Wariyapola Road lies Kadawalagedara Sri Sugatharamaya Rajamaha Viharaya […]
Seruwila Raja Maha Viharaya (සේරුවිල මගුල් මහා විහාරය)
A greater part of the Dhatuvansa is devoted to the history of the relics deposited in the Seruwila Dagaba, and to an account of its erection, and the ceremonies held in connection with it. It was constructed by King Kavantissa in the 2nd century BCE enshrining the forehead bone relic (lalata dhatu) and a hair relic of Buddha. […]
Somawathi Rajamaha Viharaya (සෝමාවතී චෛත්‍යය)
The miraculous Somawathiya (Somawathi Chethiya) was built in 2nd century BC enshrining the right tooth relic of Buddha. The only other tooth relic lies in Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. […]
Debarawewa Yatala Vehera
Yatala Vehera is believed to be built by regional king Mahanaga in the 3rd century BC on the grounds which his queen delivered a son. […]
Tissamaharama Rajamaha Viharaya (තිස්සමහාරාම විහාරය)
This massive Tissamaharama Stupa (Tissamaharamaya) is believed to be built by King Mahanaga in the 3rd century BC or King Kavanthissa in the 1st century BC and is the largest stupa in the ancient southern kingdom. […]
Eth Vehera Stupa in Mihintale Monastery (ඇත් වෙහෙර)
The climb along the long flight of steps leading to its summit of Eth Vehera is a rewarding experience. The narrow steps winding its way upwards makes art in its very simplicity. […]