Other Attractions

Menik Ganga

Menik Ganga is a river which flows through the country starting from a sprout of water in a peak in the Uva province. Menik Ganga translates as the River of Gems. It is called so because underneath the rich soil of the river Menik lie precious stones of all kinds. This river has much significance since it flows through the holy city Kataragama. Devotees visiting Kataragama have made it a tradition to clean themselves in the river and then walk to the holy place. Menik Ganga is one of the main rivers that flows through the country and helps people in many other ways including irrigation.

Distance	Address	Google Map
1 km	Katharagama, Sri Lanka	Show in Map

Thissa Wewa

Built by the very king who introduced Buddhism to the country, King Devanampiyatissa, in the 3rd century BC, the Tissa Wewa in Anuradhapura does not only showcase the ingenuity of the ancient engineers of the island, but also their practical approach to building irrigation. The sole reason for the construction of the lake is to increase the water supply to the city, and to supply water to the Royal Gardens of Anuradhapura. The embankment of the ancient reservoir is believed to be 11,000 feet long and 25 feet high. Moreover, the width of the top of the reservoir was found to be 12 feet to 18 feet. The reservoir was worked on by the kings that came after Devanampiyatissa, such as King Bhatikabaya, who is believed to have installed a machine to pump water from the reservoir to the flowers in Ruwanveliseya.

Distance	Address	Google Map
18 km	Tissamaharamaya, Sri Lanka	Show in Map

Madunagala Hot Springs

Madunagala Hot Water Springs lie among the vast paddy fields between Sooriyawewa and Ridiyagama, not far from Kataragama. Today this hot water well is one of the most popular destinations for pilgrims to the South. The spring was first recorded by Leonard Woolf, Assistant Government Agent of Hambantota (1908-11) in his diaries recording the haphazard journey through wild animal infested jungles and boat rides to reach the hot spring where he had taken samples to be analyzed. The spring was rediscovered again in early 1960’s with the Uda Walawe development project when the areas coming under the Walawe Basin were turned into vast agricultural areas.

Distance	Address	Google Map
50 km	Madhunagala, Sri Lanka	Show in Map

Ranminithenna Tele Cinema Village

A purpose-built teledrama and film village opened around 10 years ago, Ranminithenna has been a popular production site for many famous TV series and movies. Most of the structures are built to resemble colonial Mumbai in India, as it was used to film the Bollywood hit, Bombay Velvet. Some of the structures and props were also used in filming ‘Yasodhara’, which gained critical acclaim locally and internationally. Apart from the structures that resemble colonial Bombay, the village also comprises some other interesting sets that resemble iconic attractions elsewhere in the island including the Cargills Millers building, the Queen’s Hotel in Kandy, and the Nippon Hotel in Colombo. Ranminithenna is quite close to Kataragama.

Distance	Address	Google Map	Contact Number
12 km	Ranminithanna, Sri Lanka	Show in Map	047 2255444