Ihalakotte Meeyan Ella Waterfall

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Meeyan Ella waterfall falling through the artificial groove built by British

Hidden beside the Kandy railway line, the 30 meter high Meeyan Ella reveals a captivating story of colonial engineering and natural beauty. Once a single mighty waterfall, it was split by the British to build the railway, leaving behind twin cascades, tunnels, caves, and forgotten human stories.

Height :	30 meters
District :	Kegalle

Meeyan Ella is a waterfall with a rich history that remains largely unknown to many. It is located along the railway line to Kandy, close to the Ihalakotte Railway Station.

The stream that forms Meeyan Ella originates at a place known as Helan-Madiththa on the Alagalla Mountain. In its original form, the waterfall plunged as a single, powerful stream over a rock face, flowing through the villages of Walagoda and Thalagolla before joining Thalagolla Oya, which in turn connects to Ma Oya at Boella.

Today, however, the waterfall descends as two separate streams, divided by a gap of about 50 meters. These flows follow two artificially cut grooves on the rock surface. The transformation of what was once a single, mighty cascade into two smaller waterfalls has a fascinating historical background.

Colonial engineering and the railway

After the fall of the last kingdom of Sri Lanka to the British, work began on a railway line from Colombo to Kandy to transport valuable hill-country produce to the port of Colombo for export. The section between Polgahawela and Kandy was constructed in the mid-19th century, and at Alagalla the engineers encountered the formidable challenge of crossing the large Meeyan Ella waterfall.

Initially, the British planned to bore a tunnel through the Alagalla rock, a task that would have required drilling over 305 meters (1,000 feet) through solid stone. Recognizing the scale of this undertaking, they sought an alternative solution. The decision was made to block the waterfall upstream and carve two deep channels into the rock, allowing the water to fall as two smaller streams instead of one large cascade.

Following this modification, the British cut a horizontal ledge measuring about 427 meters (1,400 feet) in length and 5.5 meters (18 feet) in depth along the Alagalla rock face to accommodate the railway line. This section of the railway was completed up to Kandy in 1867. However, during periods of heavy rain, the grooves proved inadequate to manage the volume of water, and the railway line was repeatedly washed away.

By the early 20th century, it became clear that this arrangement was dangerous during the monsoon season. The original tunnel plan was revived, and between 1905 and 1906 a tunnel measuring 400 meters (1,307 feet) in length was constructed through the Alagalla rock. Positioned between tunnels 5 and 6, it was designated Tunnel 5A. This tunnel is the second longest railway tunnel in Sri Lanka, surpassed only by the Singimale Tunnel, which is 558 meters (1,865 feet) long. The Nakuttiya Tunnel on the new Matara–Beliatta line, with a length of 615 meters (2,018 feet), is expected to assume this distinction in the future.

Reaching the waterfalls and surrounding sites

The split waterfalls can be accessed from Ihalakotte Railway Station. Walking approximately 275 meters along the railway track leads to Sangaraja Lena, a small cave where Welivita Sri Saranankara Thero is said to have lived in hiding while studying the Pali language. Continuing a further 225 meters along the track brings you to the entrance of Tunnel 5A. Anyone wishing to explore the tunnel should first consult railway staff at Ihalakotte to confirm current train schedules. Given the tunnel’s length of 400 meters, encountering a train inside could be fatal.

Parallel to the railway tunnel, along the edge of the Alagalla rock precipice, lies the route of the old railway alignment. The waterfall is located about 150 meters along this path. As the trail is now heavily overgrown with mana trees, appropriate clothing is recommended before attempting to traverse it.

Stories etched into the landscape

A lone coconut tree standing at the start of the old railway path marks a poignant historical site. This spot is believed to be the grave of S.P. Appuwa, born in 1880 at Ihalakotte. He was among the workers who drilled through the Alagalla mountain to construct the tunnel and later maintained the railway line until his retirement. He passed away in 1974. Nearby banana trees on the left indicate another grave, that of a railway employee named Gallene Gedhara Samara, who died while serving as a patrolman.

The tunnel itself remains damp, as Meeyan Ella continues to flow over it. About 75 meters inside, a large opening can be seen on the left wall, leading directly to the outer precipice. This opening is believed to have been used to dispose of excavated rubble during construction. Today, it serves as a welcome source of fresh air for those passing through the tunnel.

Tunnel no. 5A and the start of diversion to Meeyal Ella track.

The coconut tree marking the grave of grave of S.P Appuwa who was part of the crew building the tunnel across Meeyan Ella waterfall

Path to the Meeyan Ella waterfall through Mana bushes

Meeyan Ella Waterfall falling below the old railway line

The large hole which the debris from the tunnel were expelled.

Meeyan Ella waterfall dipping through the artificial groove built by British

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Waterfalls of Sri Lanka
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