Updates of first three days of Pada Yathra….2015

This was my second experience of Pada Yathra and I wanted to do it in first few days once Kumana gates opened. In my first visit of Pada Yathra we discussed to do it in the first day as environment of Yala and Kumana is fresh before devotees reach there. Unfortunately I missed other three members of initial Pada Yathra and I departure with new three who were actually new for this.
Amila, Werner and I got overnight Colombo-Panama (පානම) bus from Pettah on 6th night and reached Panama at 6am on 7th. We decided to visit Sashthrawela (ශාස්ත්රsවෙල) and Sand dunes at Panama first and we  joined with Nirosh at late afternoon.
After packing our food stuff from Pothuwil (පොතුවිල්) town we headed towards Okanda. As there were no buses from Panama to Okanda we hired a three wheel to Okanda.
When we reach Okanda Dewalaya premises it was full of devotees. They were preparing for leaving tomorrow. We also joined with them and loitered around Okanda Dewalaya premises till night.
We decided to spend our night on top of the rock situated at Okanda. There were two small shrines. Three bathing wells also.
Dinner was fulfilled by a Dansala and we had a bath from a well. It was an unforgettable experience as the bucket I lent from a devotee was fallen into the well and we were struggling to get it out.
Sleeping on the rock is amazing due to continuous wind overnight.

Devotees at Okanda Dewalaya

Okanda Gala Uda Dewalaya (ඔකද ගල උඩ දේවාලය)

Evening sky over Kudumbigala (කුඩුම්බිගල)

Devotees having “Pooja”-පූජා

Father and Son

Sun set at Okanda

Sun set at Okanda

Day 01
After having early morning “Pooja” at Okanda Dewalaya most of the devotees left Dewalaya premises and entered Kumana. There were two Dansala on first day morning: We had Kiribath for breakfast and packed rice packets for our lunch. Though they have done a head count at the entrance they didn’t check bags for polythene.
We started our walking around 6am and walked with pilgrims. Most of the pilgrims stopped at Bagure-බාගුරේ (might be for lunch break or 1st day spend) but we went ahead and reached Kuda Kabiliththa Dewalaya around 12noon.
It was a surprise to walk 22kms in 6hours and we have completed what we planned to walk on first day.
Mile stones we passed on our way to Kuda Kabiliththa Dewalaya (කුඩා කැබලිත්ත දේවාලය) were, Paliha Damu Wala (පලිහ දැමූ වල), Giant Hearth-යෝධ ලිප, Bagure Lagoon, Andarakaala kalapuwa (අන්දරකාල කලපුව), Itikala kalapuwa (ඉටිකාල කලපුව),Yakkala kalapuwa (යාක්කාල කලපුව) and Kumana Willuwa (කුමන විල්ලුව).

Team before start the journey…in front of Okanda Dewalaya

Devotees are getting ready –Photographed by Amila

Young devotees

Kiribath Dansala conducted by Army

Devotees at Kumana entrance packing their goods

“හරෝ හරා”

Alone with his flag

Passing Paliha Damu Wala-පලිහ දැමූ වල

Age is not a problem

At Giant Hearth- යෝධ ලිප

We passed groups of Devotees

Now only few of them ahead of us

Reaching Bagure

Crossing Bagure Lagoon

Bagure Gala-බාගුරේ ගල

Crossing Bagure Oya

Bagure Bridge

Bagure Oya

At Andarakala Kalapuwa

Flying

Birds at Itikala Kalapuwa-Black winged Stilt

Filling up water tanks…..

Hitchigala (හිච්චිගල)-151m

Dried….

Reaching Kumana Willuwa-කුමන විල්ලුව

Bird watching tower

Kumana Willuwa

Black-headed Ibis

Grey Heron

Folk of birds

Most commonest-Green Bee-eater

So eager of us……

Reaching Kumbukkan Oya

Devotees at Kuda Kabiliththa Dewalaya කුඩා කැබලිත්ත දේවාලය

On very first day of Pada Yathra, Kuda Kabiliththa Dewalaya had only few devotees. We got refreshed from Kumbukkan Oya (කුඹුක්කන් ඔය) and had our lunch there. Most of the time devotees will rest here for the first day but we decided to cross Kumbukkan Oya. After having a rest under shadows of trees, we went ahead to cross the river. It was easy to cross Kumbukkan Oya as water level was low.
We started the journey beyond Kumbukkan Oya around 2pm and it was so hot and dry. Tree covering in this area was minimal. Sometimes it was difficult to pass the area due to dust and wind.
Land marks we passed were: Madame Thota-මඩමේ තොට, Keulawela Eliya (කෙවුලවෙල එලිය), Halpangoda Eliya (හල්පාන්ගොඩ එලිය), Ettarake Eliya and Maha Gajabawa Eliya (මහ ගජබාව එළිය).
Army friends were preparing to fill water tanks and we have finished almost all the water we had. Our plan was to reach Lin Thuna-ලින් තුන at Navalady before getting dark but we were unable to reach there. We were informed there is a camp site made by Army people at Lin Thuna.
By 6.30pm we were passing Uda Gajabawa Eliya (උඩ ගජබාව එළිය)and decided to camp there as there was further about 10km to Lin Thuna.

Werner is crossing the counting station at Kuda Kabiliththa as the first person

Last bit of Kumana

Kumbukkan Oya

Crossing Kumbukkan Oya

View of Kuda Kabiliththa from other side of Kumbukkan Oya

Walking in the desert-Keulawela Eliya

කුළු හරකා

Passing Halpangoda Eliya

Is this salt…..?

Passing Maha Gajabawa Eliya

Life has no value in the forest

Reaching Uda Gajabawa Eliya

Camp fire

Camp site at Uda Gajabawa Eliya-Photographed by Werner

Day 01 route- Starting point is shown by red arrow. Important places are shown in red circles. Click image to enlarge

Rest of day 01 route and day 02 route. Important places are marked in red circles. Camp sites are shown in green pentagons. Lin Thuna is shown by purple circle.

Day 02
Beginning of the second day was not bad due to thanks for the pain killers and on/off sleep. We started the day with first rays of sun light. We passed Etheliwala Eliya (ඇතිලිවෙල එළිය), Pahala Potana Eliya (පහල පොතාන එළිය) and reached Lin Thuna at Navalady. On our way suddenly encountered a wild buffalo who was targeting us with it’s herd. The Buffalo was coming to us and we covered to a tree. This game was lasted around 30minutes and then we moved away while it was looking at us.
It was around 8am when we reached Lin Thuna.

Early morning….Where we camped at Uda Gajabawa Eliya

Mixed Foot steps

Leaving Uda Gajabawa Eliya

Athuru Mithurugala-අතුරු මිතුරු ගල

Passing Etheliwela Eliya

Passing Pahala Potana Eliya

Looking at us

Aiming us

Evidences of leopard

Reaching Lin Thuna

Delicate

We were warmly welcome at Lin Thuna (ළිo තුන) by a team of Medical camp. We had our breakfast and got plastered our heat blisters. It was 9.30am when we left Lin Thuna. Lin Thuna is situated about 500m away from main trek. Later I knew Army friends have started a canteen there.

Lin Thuna

Army people and medical camp are still settling

Nirosh is treated by doctors

The stretch following Lin Thuna up to Menik Ganga (මැණික් ගග)was almost dry. There were no water sources till Menik Ganga and water tanks were still empty. We had Samaposha for our lunch and rest under a tree in mid afternoon. First time we met three devotees who passed us in this stretch. Later they also walked with us and separated at the initial point of Menik Ganga. We walked further 1-2 km parallel to MenikGanga. Land marks we passed up to Menik Ganga were, Uda Potana Eliya (උඩ පොතාන එලිය), Murungayaya (මුරුoගයාය), Pilinnawa Eliya (පිළින්නව එළිය) and Yalewala (යාලේවල).
There were enough spaces for camping at the bank of Menik Ganga. I can remember in my previous visit all these places were full of devotees but this time we had so many selections.

We had a dip in Menik Ganga and made our fire at the bank. After having noodles for dinner we slept. So we have completed about 54kms for two days.

So many dry trees…..

Asian Openbill (Openbill)

Asian Openbill (Open Bill)

Great Egret

Theme of the journey

Passing Murungayaya

Wild buffaloes

What remained

Inquiring about distance……

Close to the sea-Pilinnawa Eliya

Meeting devotees

කරල් හැබ

Minihagalkanda (මිනිහාගල්කන්ද)

Resting at Yalewala

Last dry stretch of the day

Entering Yala block-2

Ruhunu National Park (Yala)
Ruhunu National Park is commonly called as Yala has five blocks and a strictly natural reserve section. Katagamuwa and Katharagama sanctuaries are adjacent to Yala Park.
Yala became a national park on 1938. Yala Park is the most visited park in Sri Lanka and second largest national park. Block-1 is the main area of visit.

Under the tree canopy-walking parallel to the river

Camping at bank of Menik Ganga

Day 03
This was the last day we rushed towards Katharagama (කතරගම). We woke up in early morning and prepared our breakfast and left the place around 6am. First stretch of walking was parallel to Menik Ganga was beautiful as always it was under tree canopy. We reached Warahana (වරහන) wild life office after 8kms walk. It was occupied by troops for the season. Then we crossed the bridge and entered Yala block-1.
Next session of walking was towards Katagamuwa (කටගමුව) entrance. This was again through a dry zone and we came across number of safari jeeps roaming in Yala block-1. Around 11am we reached Katagamuwa entrance. It was happy to see water tanks were filled with water for the first time in this side (beyond Kumbukkan Oya).

Day 03 Map- starting of the route is shown by black arrows. End point is shown by red arrow. Click image to enlarge.

Under the tree canopy

Under the tree canopy

An accident

Morning sun rays

Parallel to Menik Ganga

Parallel to Menik Ganga

Early morning

Delicate

Under the tree canopy

Warahana wild life office. Warahana camp site and Warahana bungalow are situated closer to this.

Menik Ganga (මැණික් ගග)

The bridge over Menik Ganga. It connects Yala block-II with Yala block-1.

Warahana-Yala block-1

Junction where roads to Yala and Katharagama meet

Walking in Yala block 01

Dried

Black Headed Ibis (White Ibis)

The Lake

Yala-Katagamuwa entrance

Yala block-1 has two entrances: Katagamuwa and Palatupana (පලටුපාන). Galge (ගල්ගේ) is the other entrance of Yala.

Having a rest

Wrong Sinhala term for leopard

Last stretch was about 6Kms. We passed Katagamuwa and Katharagama sanctuaries. On the way we had a Dansala of herbal drinks. By 1.30pm we reached Katharagama as the first group for 2015 Pada Yathra season.

Passing Katagamuwa sanctuary

Passing Katharagama sanctuary

“Ganadewi”-ගණදෙවි shrine where they give herbal drink Dansala

Bodhiraja Temple (බෝධිරාජ විහාරය) Katharagama

After reaching Katharagama Amila and myself said good bye to Nirosh and Werner. We had a dip at Menik Ganga and worshiped God Katharagama to windup the sacred walking.

කතරගම දෙවියන්ගේ පිහිටයි