Ramboda - crowded with waterfalls

Travelling from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, you will pass the hamlet of Ramboda, 50 km to the south of Kandy and 25 km north of Nuwara Eliya. Ramboda and the nearby Tawalantenne village, situated in a height of almost 1000 m above sea level, are a perfect place for a break. Many restaurants along the road have magnificent views to the reservoirs of the Kotmale valley and to waterfalls within the tea-growing area.

One very popular place for a lunch or tea break is Ramboda Falls Hotel. It‘s close to the Ramboda Bridge, but situated a little bit hidden further downhill. Ramboda Falls Hotel has a large garden and restaurant area. Outside guests are welcome to take meals or just enjoy a cup of Ceylon tea. Not surprisingly, the hotel restaurant area offers perfect views to the nearby Ramboda Falls.

Be aware, there is more than one waterfall near Ramboda, and almost all of them are called Ramboda Falls. Ramboda Falls in the narrow sense of the word is that in the garden of the hotel of the same name. It‘s created by the Ramboda Oya („Oya“ being the Sinhala word for „river“. Ramboda Oya forms three falls in a row, two above the mainroad (A5 highway) and one further, below at the said hotel.

The first waterfall is called the Ihala Ramboda Oya Ella, which translates to „Upper Ramboda Oya Fall“. It‘s in 500 m distance from the main road. The „Middle Falls“, Ramboda Oya Meda Ella, can be seen from the main road. The latter are less tall, only 5 meters. The Pahala Ramboda Oya Ella („Lower Ramboda Oya Waterfalls“) is 15 meters tall and lies in the hotel garden, about 500 meters downhill and not visible from the A 5 main road.

Even more confusing: The three falls near Ramboda Falls Hotel are not the only waterfalls called Ramboda Falls. The tallest waterfall in the Ramboda area is another one, which is visible from a far distance, it's situtaed 1.5 km behind the Ramboda Falls Hotel and closer to the Ramboda Inn and Blue Field Tea Factory. With a height of 109 m, it‘s counted as the 11th tallest waterfall of Sri Lanka. The correct name of this waterfall is Poona Falls (also spelt „Puna Ella“ or „Poonawa Ella“), as it is partly created by the Poona Oya, a tributary of the Ramboda Oya and the Kotmale River. Poona Falls in Ramboda is known for its Y-shape. Actually, it‘s created not by a single stream but by two different streams or rivers. The waterfalls are just the place of their confluence. Thus,  Poona Falls is a twin waterfall. To be more precise: Only the fall seen on the left side is the true Poona Ella, whereas the waterfall on the right side is created by  a different river, which usually carries more water (except from very dry periods, when the Poona Oya can be the larger one, because its amounts of waters decrease less). The name of the river that is usually the larger one is Ramboda Oya, again. Actually, the river known as Ramboda Oya has two different upper reaches of the very same name, only one running along Ramboda Falls Hotel and forming Ramboda Falls in the narrow sense. The other one, further south, is the far longer headwater of Ramboda Oya. It's the latter one which forms one of the two jets of water which together are the said twin falls named Poona Ella. In conclusion: It's not completely wrong that most tourists and many guidebooks refer to Poona Falls as „Ramboda Falls“, too, because the larger part of the water of this waterfall is contributed by one of the headwaters called Ramboda Oya.

The various waterfalls mentioned above are by far not the only ones in the Ramboda region. Hellboda Ella is another impressive one not far from the mainroad. More waterfalls further uphill can be seen from far distance, when driving the most scenic part of the mainroad just behind Blue Field Tea Estate. Others cannot be seen from the main road, though they are in close distance, for example Dunsinane Falls formed by the Pundalu Oya, another tributary of the Kotmale River.

According to the local legends, Ramboda is an area, where events of the Indian Ramayana epic took place. When Ravana, the King of hanka, had abducted Sita, he flew with her through the air to Lanka, using his heavenly chariot, the Pushpaka Vimana. Eager to win her love, he tried to impress her by showing her the beauty of his kingdom. So he flew over a region of splended waterfalls. And this region of course must have been Ramboda. Another story has it, that Hanuman searching Sita came along Ramboda on the way to Lankapura and Ashoka Vatika, where Sita was held in captivity. Ramboda is also said to have been the place where Rama, Sita‘s husband, gathered his army before fighting against Ravana to free his wife. The Hindu Chinmaya mission of Sri Lanka construted a temple dedicated to Hanuman near Ramboda recently. The temple houses for 16 feet high statue of Hanuman. It has become an important place of pilgrimage for Hindus from India.