Watawala

MAP OF WATAWALA AND AROUND

Carolina Tea Factory - Watawala

TP - 94 (0) 11 4702400 . Carolina Tea Company of Ceylon Ltd. Incorporated in 1892 is one of the pioneer tea companies in the country, set up primarily to plant tea. It consisted of a group of plantations situated in Lower Dickoya. They were Agarawatte, Carolina, Kandawella, Mount Jean, Wigton, Udeapola Group, Trafalgar, Goarfell and St.Margaret Estates.The Management of this group that was originally with Leechman and Company changed to Mackwoods Estates & Agencies Ltd. at a later date.

According to the times of Ceylon Green Book of 1939, this group had over 1,000 hectares in tea, 245 hectares in rubber, a few hundred coconut trees, and 726 hectares uncultivated, comprising a total extent at the stage was considered a substantial area for administration. The Carolina tea factory was one of the original "central factories" constructed by the river that ran by the estate, to avail themselves of water power. It was indeed an improvement to some of other factories of the day, with no mud floors and cadjan roofs. The building was of wood assembled firmly on stone pillars. It had three floors going up to the height of 42 feet from ground to ridge. Provision had been made for further expansion, but there was sufficient space to accommodate all the leaf not only from that group, but from many other adjoining plantations who were satisfied with a return of 9 cents (about 2p) per pound. The novelty was that very often than not, the green leaf arrived by train.

Aberdeen, Seven Vigrins, Luxapana, Maskeliya Trail

Aberdeen Waterfall

Aberdeen Falls is a picturesque 98 m (322 ft) high waterfall on the near Ginigathena, in the Nuwara Eliya District of . Aberdeen is named after the place Aberdeen, the third largest city in Scotland and the capital of Aberdeenshire. Kehelgamu Oya is a major tributary of the . From Ginigathena town, proceed along Ambatale Road up to the Buddha statue at the end. Then park your vehicles and walk about 1.2 km along the little bit worse road. Keep in mind that viper, snakes are in this nature. This waterfall is very beautiful and it is covered with a big stone complex behind. The waterfall is ranked as the 18th highest on the Island.

10 min, 8.2 km from Greendale. From Diyagala Junction, it will be 5 in, 4.1 km

DIRECTIONS :

1. Diyagala Junction - Head north on Avissawella-Hatton- Nuwara Eliya Hwy toward Carolina - Norton - Wanarajah Rd/B71 - 37 m

2. Turn left onto Carolina - Norton - Wanarajah Rd/B71

Pass by Giyagala Tamil School (on the left in 350 m) - 4.0 km Norton Bridge Dam

The dam creates the relatively small Norton Reservoir, which is sustained by water from the Kehelgamu Oya, and water discharged from the Wimalasurendra Hydroelectric Power Station, which is located at the site of the reservoir. Water from the Norton Reservoir is further channelled through a penstock to the Old Laxapana Hydroelectric Power Station, located 3.8 km (2.4 mi) downstream, 1.5 km (0.9 mi) northwest of Kiriwan Eliya. The power station consists of five hydroelectric generators, three of which are rated at 8.33 MW, and two of which are 12.50 MW. The first three and last two units were commissioned in December 1950 and December 1958, respectively.

DIRECTIONS : 11 min, 9km

1. Diyagala Junction - Head north on Avissawella-Hatton-Nuwara Eliya Hwy toward Carolina - Norton - Wanarajah Rd/B71 - 37 m

2. Turn left onto Carolina - Norton - Wanarajah Rd/B71

Pass by Rathanayaka Hardware (on the right in 4.4 km) - 8.9 km

O Mile Post

After passing Laxapana power station we come to ‘Double cut junction’ where you can see the ‘Zero’ mile post.

Luxapana Falls

Laxapana Falls is 126m high and the 8th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka and 625th highest waterfall in the world. It is situated in Maskeliya area in Nuwara Eliya District, about 16 Kilometers from Maskeliya town on Maskeliya-Norton Bridge road, in a village called Kiriwan Eliya. It's formed by near the confluence of Kehelgamu Oya and Maskeliya Oya which forms Kelani River. The Falls gives its name to twin Power stations, Laxapana which generates 50MW of electricity and New Laxapana which generates 100MW. Relates to Polpitiya Hydro Power Station. (We can see the polpitiya river on this route)

DIRECTIONS :

1. GREENDALE, 63rd Mile Post - Head west on Avissawella-Hatton-Nuwara Eliya Hwy/A7. Continue to follow A7. Pass by CHANDRA AGENCY (on the left in 350 m) - 4.2 km

2. Turn left onto Carolina - Norton - Wanarajah Rd/B71. Pass by Rathanayaka Hardware (on the right in 4.4 km) - 8.6 km

3. Turn right at Norton Bridge onto Norton - Maskeliya Rd/B328 - 6.4 km

4. Slight right - 1.0 km

5. Turn right - 1.3 km

Article : http://trips.lakdasun.org/ravana-gala-laxapana-king-ravana-other-airport.htm

Seven Virgins Mountain Range (Saptha Kanya)

This mountain range is mostly famous because of the plane crash happened in 1974. It is also known as a hard- to-climb mountain.

About the Plane Crash : The deadly plane crash on the Saptha Kanya range (Anjimale or the Seven Virgin Hills) in Maskeliya - Nuwara Eliya on December 4, 1974 has presented mysteries hitherto unresolved. The air crash generates a complete enigma as to what caused Dutch Pilot Hendrik Lamme to fly the plane at a lower height of two-thousand feet when the top of the Saptha Kanya range was at about four thousand and three hundred feet The plane crashed on the 5th mountain, as the picture shows. Martinair Flight 138 was a chartered flight from Surabaya, Indonesia to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The aircraft was operated on behalf of Garuda Indonesia. On 4 December 1974, the aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-55CF crashed into a mountain shortly before landing, killing all 191 people aboard – 182 Indonesian hajj pilgrims bound for Mecca, and 9 crew members

DIRECTIONS : 30 mins, 21.4 km from Greendale

1. Head west on Avissawella-Hatton-Nuwara Eliya Hwy/A7. Continue to follow A7. Pass by CHANDRA AGENCY (on the left in 350 m) - 4.2 km

2. Turn left onto Carolina - Norton - Wanarajah Rd/B71. Pass by Rathanayaka Hardware (on the right in 4.4 km) - 8.6 km

3. Turn right at Norton Bridge onto Norton - Maskeliya Rd/B328 - 6.4 km 4. Slight right - 1.0 km. Turn right - 1.3 km

Canyon Reservoir and Power Station

The is a large arch-gravity dam built across the Maskeliya Oya, 4.5 km (2.8 mi) upstream of the iconic Laxapana Falls, in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. The associated power station plays a major role in the national power grid, due to its significant output.[1]The dam creates the relatively small Canyon Reservoir, measuring at 450 m (1,480 ft) and 350 m (1,150 ft) in its longest length and width, respectively. The reservoir's primary source of water is the Maskeliya Oya, with additional water discharged from the Canyon Hydroelectric Power Station, located at the same site. Water from the Canyon Reservoir is further transferred through a penstock to the New Laxapana Hydroelectric Power Station, located 7 km (4.3 mi) downstream, at 06°55′05″N 80°29′31″E, 1.5 km (0.9 mi) northwest of Kiriwan Eliya. The power station consists of two hydroelectric generators of 50 MW each, both of which were commissioned in February 1974.

Maskeliya Reservoir

The Maskeliya Dam (also known as the Maussakelle Dam) is a large gravity dam at Maskeliya, in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Along with the Castlereigh Dam, the dams are the highest point and beginning of the Laxapana Hydropower Complex, involving a number of dams, penstocks, and hydroelectric power stations. The dam creates the Maskeliya Reservoir over the route of Maskeliya Oya, a major tributary of the Kelani River, which is the 4th longest in the country.

Power Station - A 4.2 km (2.6 mi) penstock from the Maskeliya Reservoir, measuring 3 m (10 ft) in diameter, transfers water directly to the Canyon Hydroelectric Power Station, located further downstream. The 60- megawatt power station consists of two 30-megawatt units, commissioned in March 1983 and May 1988, respectively. Water from the Canyon Power Station is discharged into the Canyon Reservoir, located at the same site

Two waterfalls come and join the reservoir.

Moray Falls :

40m height. Moray Fall is located on the Moray estate on on the shadows of Samanala Range. The waterfall is fed by a stream originating from the Samanala Mountain Range and ends up at the Muskeliya Reservoir at the bottom of the fall. This fall cascades in 3 segments before finally hitting the bottom.

Sri Pada Falls / Adam’s Peak Falls / Gartmore Falls – ශ්‍රී පාද ඇල

25m - Another fall, Sri Pada Falls (also known s Adam’s Peak Falls / Gartmore Falls) lies only few hundred meters away falling on the Maskeliya reservoir in similar fashion. Due to the close proximity of these two falls, some confuse the names of these waterfalls and the Moray Falls is sometimes identified as the Sri Pada Falls.

DIRECTIONS : 48 min, 36.8 km from Diyagala junction

1. Diyagala Junction - Head north on Avissawella-Hatton- Nuwara Eliya Hwy toward Carolina - Norton - Wanarajah Rd/B71 - 37 m

2. Turn left onto Carolina - Norton - Wanarajah Rd/B71. Pass by Rathanayaka Hardware (on the right in 4.4 km) - 8.6 km

3. Turn right at Norton Bridge onto Norton - Maskeliya Rd/B328. Pass by Maussakele Despancery (on the right in 15.7 km) - 16.5 km

4. Turn right onto Sripada Rd. Pass by Saman Devalaya (on the right in 1.1 km) - 8.2 km 5. Turn left onto Mare Estate Rd - 950 m

6. Keep left to continue on Moray Estate Rd - 1.7 km. Moray Estate Rd turns slightly left and becomes Mare Estate Rd - 850 m

Article : http://setz-uom.blogspot.com/2011/01/blog-post.html

Castlereigh Reservoir

The Castlereigh Dam (also spelled Castlereagh) is a gravity dam built across the Kehelgamu Oya, a major tributary to the Kelani River, approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) south-west of Hatton, in the Central Province of Sri Lanka.The Castlereigh Reservoir is also home to the Castlereigh Water Airport, registered under the IATA code NUF

DIRECTIONS : There are 3 routes.

1. Head west on Avissawella-Hatton-Nuwara Eliya Hwy/A7. Continue to follow A7. Pass by CHANDRA AGENCY (on the left in 350 m) - 4.2 km

2. Turn left onto Carolina - Norton - Wanarajah Rd/B71. Pass by Rathanayaka Hardware (on the right in 4.4 km) - 16.7 km

3. Turn right - 700 m

4. Sharp left - 4.6 km

5. Turn left - 210 m

6. Keep left - 4.1 km

Christ Church Warleigh

With its colonial-style architecture and picture-postcard background, the church attracts many a visitor, says Fr. Andrew Devadasan under whose staff falls Christ Church although he is based at Dick Oya. Built by the British for the British long ago, the church is now very much a community one, he says, explaining that both Tamils and Sinhalese attend services here or drop-by to say a quick prayer. Nestling amidst giant cypress and flowering trees, Christ Church had been built way back in 1878, 133 years ago, and each and every item within and without are relics of a bygone era. The stained glass windows tell the story of Christ’s humble life while the Bible, nearly as old as the church, sellotaped to ward off the weathering of age, had been gifted in July 1879 by the Revd. Charles Hill, Rector of Warboys Parish in Huntingdonshire, England.

DIRECTIONS : This one here is directions from Hatton

1. Head south on Avissawella-Hatton Nuwara Eliya Hwy toward Hatton - Maskeliya - Dalhousie Road - 130 m 2. Turn left at Philip Motorcycle Workshop onto Hatton - Maskeliya - Dalhousie Road. Pass by Lankarus Private Hospital Ltd (on the right in 350 m) - 1.1 km 3. Turn right onto Side St. Pass by G K S. Filling Station (on the right) - 200 m 4. Turn left at Hatton Tower onto Hatton - Maskeliya - Dalhousie Road. Pass by Dr.Rajaratnam's Health Care Clinic (on the right) 5. Destination will be on the right. From Greendale – 16km, 20 min

Zesta Tea Cup – Hatton

DIRECTIONS: 4 min 3.0 km from Greendale

Mlesna Tea Castle - Thalawakele

DIRECTIONS : 21.8km from Greendale

This place has the clear view of St Clairs Falls and Devon falls.

1. Head east on Avissawella-Hatton- Nuwara Eliya Hwy toward Rozella Station Rd. Pass by Zesta Tea Cup (on the left in 3.0 km) (9.9 km)

2. Turn left at Philip Motorcycle Workshop to stay on Avissawella-Hatton-Nuwara Eliya Hwy

3. Pass by T.L.S (on the right in 6.9 km)

4. Destination will be on the right (10.8 km) Devon Falls and St Clair’s Falls

Devon Falls: The falls is named after a pioneer English coffee planter called Devon, whose plantation is situated nearby the falls. The Waterfall is 97 meters high and ranked 19th highest in the Island. The fall formed by Kothmale Oya, a tributary of . Altitude of Devon falls is 1,140m above sea level.

St Clair’s Falls: St. Clair's fall is one of the widest waterfalls in Sri Lanka. It is called the "Little Niagara of Sri Lanka". The falls derived its name from a nearby tea estate. The fall is 80m high and hence 20th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. St. Clair's falls comprises two falls called "Maha Ella" and "Kuda Ella," which is 50m high and was created by a tributary of .

St. Clair's Tea Centre

Another sales outlet and a restaurant which also offers open seating, on the Hatton Road at Talawakale. Just above the St Clairs falls. There is a good viewing platform from the location

Sun Grown Strawberries Jagro’s Strawberry farms ( as the website stated )

Pass by Lindula Police Station (on the right in 3.9 km) -10.8 km. Slight left onto Radella Short Cut Rd. Destination will be on the right - 600 m: 1.9 km

JAGRO Telephone : +94 11 2199041/3