RIVERSTON VIEWPOINT | THREE MONTHS AFTER DITWAH

Riverston is one of the most picturesque places located within the Knuckles Reserve, Matale. Riverston ,a popular hiking place in Sri Lanka, can easily be reached from (approximately around 35km) the Matale town. 

The blogger together with two friends visited Riverston on a bike ride on the 27 Feb. 2026, exactly three months after the Ditwah disaster. The signs of fury which Ditwah unleashed on Sri Lanka can still be seen at certain places on the way. The road has been cleared by now. The road to Riverston is highly motorable. 

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Riverston is a part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. The area is known for its high biodiversity. 

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One may possibly wonder as to how this place got its name 'Rieverston'. It is widely believed that 'Riverston' is a combination of 'river' and 'stone'. The winding rivers and the crops of stones scattered in the area prove this belief. 

There is a distance of 2 km to the viewpoint which is located close to the transmission tower installed on top. The hike from the entrance to the viewpoint is the most interesting part of the journey. The view around the area is mesmerizing.

Horagolla National Park

A visit to the lesser known Horagolla National Park on a field trip with a group of Grade 6 students of the Nalanda Education Institute, Veyangoda. 

The Horagolla National Park can easily be reached from the Veyangoda Katunayake Main Road.  I visited the park from Nittambuwa. I drove  1 1/2 km towards Veyangoda. There is a sign board of the park on the main road. The  The park entrance is situated at Pinnagollawatta. It is an 800 m drive from the main road. 

There is no proper vehicle parking area for the park. However, as only a small crowd turns up at the park , you can park your vehicle on the road or in a garden compound for a nominal fee. 

👉Watch the video below for details of the park. 

The park is situated in close proximity to the Nittambuwa town. However, once you enter the park, you get completely cut off from the urban environment. The tall trees with the thick canopy make you feel that you are walking in the Sinharaja rainforest. The forest officers guide the visitors the most friendliest manner. The whole  journey from the main entrance takes less than two hours. There is a paved walk around the park. 

The park is a safe place for students who are interested in learning the natural environment. 

The park is a home to a number of small creatures like bats, giant squirrels , wild boar , fishing cat , golden jackal , porcupine etc. These animals cannot be spotted easily here because of the thick forest cover. The forest is also the home for a number of snake species like viper , cobra , crate etc. 

There is a mini tank closer to the entrance of the park which is a heaven for different fish species , tortoises , water snakes and monitor lizards.  

The place is rich in bio-diversity. This forest which is 33 hectares in extent was declared a wildlife sanctuary on the 5th Sept. 1973. Then it was declared a National Park on  the 24th June 2004. 

The forest is abundant with Hora trees , hence it has received the name Horagolla.  

👉The park is also situated close to the Horagolla Walawwa which is the residence of two prime ministers; S.W.R.D. Bandaranayake and Sirimavo Bandaranayake; and an executive president; Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranayake, the daughter of the late Bandaranaykes.

Paramakanda Royal Temple | Anamaduwa

 Paramakanda Royal Temple ( Rajamaha Vihara) is a historic cave temple situated at Anamaduwa in the Puttalam district, North Western Province. This lesser known hallowed temple is yet another rock temple built by king Walagamba (103 BC). 

The temple is located at a distance of 4km from the Anamaduwa town towards Puttalam. There is a sign of the Department of Archaeology fixed near the main Puttalam road. The stretch of the road that leads to the temple is highly motorable. There is a vast parking area at the entrance. 

The temple is situated in a calm and quiet environment away from the busy human settlements. It is situated at the foot of several giant residual rocks. The temple premises has two sections: upper temple premises and the lower temple premises. The living quarters of the Bhikkhus and the preaching hall are situated in the lower premises. 

There is an image house , a bell tower , a bo-tree and a stone inscription in the upper section. The remains of ancient plastering could be seen on the rock wall. The quiet environment provides an ideal place for engaging in religious activities. 

The temple is closely related to the Thonigala rock inscription. Thonigala rock inscription is located about 1 km from the temple. The inscription mentions about land granted to the Paramakanda Buddhist temple. This bears witness to the fact that the Paramakanda Royal Temple has been an important spiritual center since ancient times.

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A visitor to the royal temple should not miss the highest point in the temple premises which provides the experience of a 360 view. There is a flight of granite steps leading to the view point. 

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 The blogger Sajendra Kumara visited the temple on the 5th of Nov. 2025, a poya day with his travel buddy P.G. Bandara. 

Panawitiya Ambalama | A Resting House

The  Panawitiya Ambalama is one of the unique artistic works created during the Kandyan era.

Location: Panawitiya

Panawitiya is located closer to the Giriulla - Kurunegala road, about 2 km away on the Metiyagane road. The stretch of the road to the Ambalama is a motorable one. The Ambalama is situated adjacent to the Buddhist temple Panavitiya Sri Jayathilakaramaya.

District: Kurunegala

Province: North Western Province 

It is believed that the Panawitiya Ambalama was constructed between 1250 AD - 1281 AD by King Parakramabahu - ii. He had got it done by a minister called Dewapathiraja.

The place is currently maintained by the Department of Archaeology. There is an office of the Archaeological Department located in the premises. The officers provide the visitor with the necessary details. 

The rural environment the Ambalama is located enhances its beauty. There is a paddy field in the vicinity of the Ambalama . 

👉What is an Ambalama ?

An Ambalama is a resting place built for travelers and traders who had to make long journeys to different regions of the island. The ancient traveler did not have  restaurants , hotels, inns etc. for resting or spending a night leisurely. These simple resting places  were of immense use to the travelers of the yore. They were also used for public gatherings and other common activities. 

The construction of an Ambalama was a top public service at that time. 

The architecture of an Ambalama varies depending on its creators. A common feature of an Ambalama is its openness, and short walls with dozens of pillars supporting the roof. An Ambalama always guaranteed the safety of the traveler. Anyone in the village could see very well the strangers resting in an Ambalama. 

👉Legends

It is said that once there had been a riot when Parakramabahu ii was ruling Sri Lanka. The king had sent his son prince Wijayaba to curb the riot. While the prince was returning after finishing his task an enemy had shot him with a poisoned arrow. The arrow head had been poisoned with cobra venom. The prince had instantly become unconscious. It is said that the soldiers had brought the prince to the place where the Ambalama is located at present. The prince had miraculously regained consciousness at this place. Hence this place got its name Panavitiya meaning in Sinhalese the place where the prince got his life back (Pana - life , Vitiya or vetiya - hedge or field).   

After the father king had got the news of his son's recovery ,he had become overjoyed. It is said that the king had frequented this area after this incident. It is believed that initially the king had got the Ambalama built for resting on his visits to Panavitiya. 

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According to another belief the Ambalama was built by the son of the artist who constructed the Magulmaduwa of Kandy. Those who support this idea build up their argument on the wood carving that could be seen on the wooden posts of the Ambalama. The wood carvings have a strong resemblance to those of the Kandyan era. 

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There are also those who believe that the Ambalama has been constructed during the Dambadeniya era.

The Ambalama has been built on a granite foundation. The rectangular shaped wooden bottom structure has been placed on four round stones. Four heavy pieces of wood with a thickness of around one foot each have been used for this structure. There are twenty six wooden posts with a height of seven feet fixed to the bottom structure.  The roof is fixed to these wooden posts which are decorated with wood carvings. 

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It is said that the Ambalama had been in a state of dilapidated condition during  the middle of the 20th century. The roof had been Cadjan thatched due to a coconut tree falling on it causing heavy damage. 

The Panawitiya Ambalama has been reconstructed and well preserved today. There are many legends and stories associated with these simple resting houses of the ancient Sri Lankans. It is our duty to bestow this legacy to the next generation.  

👦The blogger Sajendra Kumara visited this national heritage on the 5th of November 2025 with his travel buddy P.G. Bandara. 

[ Some of the information for this short article was gathered from different sources available on the Internet]

    sajendra Kumara | 5/11/2025

    

    The old wooden structure to which the roof had been attached.