Ussangoda: Tapestry of reddish Southern soil | Sunday Observer

Ussangoda: Tapestry of reddish Southern soil

0
Text and pix Mahil Wijesinghe
Places
17 June, 2018

Ussangoda, is a small National Park in the deep South with reddish soil, an enchanting beach and a fascinating mystery of nature. If you are travelling south towards Hambantota, Ussangoda should definitely be on your itinerary.

Comments

Related Articles


Tales from a mystic river
Along the Kelani valley, I spent nearly a month capturing the beauty and bustling local life around the calm Kelani Ganga
The Kelani Ganga is not merely a river. It has holiness beyond humanity. The river is connected closely with the Sinhala...
D.R. Wijewardene, Lionel Wendt and Chitrafoto
As we celebrate the 134th birth anniversary of D.R. Wijewardene, founder of ANCL, Lake House, we peep into his world of...
Startling story of Uri Geller
On June 21, 1974 a handful of scientists clustered around a strapping, handsome Israeli ex-paratrooper named Uri Geller. He...
Last King’s lonely cell
A tiny cell in the heart of Colombo’s Fort where the last king of Ceylon, Sri Wickrama Rajasingha was kept a prisoner
I have been eyeing a small cell in the car park of Ceylinco Building at Echelon Square, bordering Fort’s Clock Tower...
From Good Samaritan to Deity
Villagers living on the banks of the Kelani Ganga worship a simple villager who was deified after death as ‘Ranwala Deviyo’, who is associated with the Kelani Ganga from Sithawaka to Kelaniya
The gods and goddesses of Sri Lanka, known as Deviyo, are believed to have attained such status through merit in their past...
A visit to Independence Memorial Hall in the heart of Colombo city to explore Sinhala art and archi
The marvel at Independence Square
One of the most important sources for studying history is architecture, which is why it is often called ‘built heritage’. It...
Secrets of ‘1,000-year-old trees’ unlocked
Scientists have discovered the secret of how the ginkgo tree can live for more than 1,000 years.A study found the tree makes...
Hidden trails: Visiting Hornbill country
The Dombagaskanda forest reserve bordering the Kalu Ganga near Ingiriya is an attractive option for those who love bird life and nature
“Listen, hornbills are striking!” shouted my son as a couple of Ceylon Grey Hornbills on the branch of a tree in the...
Devotion amidst nature’s greenery and tranquillity
Looked after by villagers, mostly Hindus, the Purana Pattini Devale in Kotthalena is a symbol of communal harmony
I the past few years, I have been blessed to repeatedly visit several Hindu Siva and Ganesh temples, all along the upcountry...
Bounty from the sea
From the most expensive seafood to the more reasonably priced every day fish, the wholesale market in ‘Lellama’ in Duwa has...
Fish and loaves with devotion
The churches and Catholics in the coastal hamlet of Duwa play a crucial role in binding together the fishing communities
Many parts of Negombo have a sizable Christian population. Duwa is a tiny island, south of the calm mangrove-fringed lagoon...
Karaththa Selvam – the cart monarch of Pettah
Two-wheeled pulling cart proprietor finds joy and satisfaction in sharing his time with Natamis
Pettah is a mosaic of human movement and heavy motor traffic complete with pedestrians. Street vendors scream and buyers...
If stones could speak…
Unique stone built Bodhigaraya (Bo-Tree enclosure) at the Padikemgala Raja Maha Viharaya hidden in the woods … would tell a thousand stories
Migahajadura is a serene farming village in the northern part of the Hambantota district. Although it is not yet nine in the...
Kitulgala: Fading away from the tourist map
Once famed Kitulgala is fast deteriorating as a tourist hotspot due to the construction of the hydroelectric power plant in Maskeli Oya
Ceylon, as Sri Lanka was then known, was not where producer Sam Spiegel or director David Lean initially wanted to shoot...
Some anecdotes to remember the good old days: The PR counter at GPO
The old General Post Office (GPO) on Queen Street, the present Janadhipathi Mawatha had a special service known as PR...’...
The rice chronicles: Ancient culture based on the cultivation of rice
Across the country, paddy fields get a fresh leaseof life these days. If you travel around the countryside, you may come...
Pelican Air: Flying the friendly skies
Beira Lake in the heart of the Colombo city has been wholly adopted by spot-billed pelicans. Here is a pictorial presentation of what can enhance bird life around the Beira Lake
Beira Lake is no stranger to people who come to Colombo daily. Located in the heart of the city, the lake nestled in a part...
A bhikkhu’s tryst with pen and paper
Gamey Viththi a Sinhala book written by Ven. Botale Ghanissara thera, explores the true life of village-folk and their traditional customs. He talks about writing, his books, and life as a bhikkhu
Today we rarely find bhikkhus who spend an exemplary and virtuous life in the fast changing topsy turvy society. Politics...
In search of the hidden kingdom
We walk through a palace and fort in ruins to rediscover a tale that goes back to the era of Prince Veediya Bandara
I thought there was nothing to see in Palindanuwara. But this small wooded village pushed into obscurity sits on the edge of...
A dam for life
The sprawling Uda Walawe reservoir of Embilipitiya is one of the largest irrigation schemes in the south-central area of the island
The Walawe basin nestling in the part of the Ratnapura, Hambantota and Moneragala districts is adorned with many tourist...

Produced by Lake House. Copyright © 1995 - 2023 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.