Mapalana Ella Falls
Nestled amidst medicinal herbs, Mapalana Ella (also known as Mapanana Ella) is a 141-meter high waterfall that comprises of three sections. The waterfall is fed by a stream that originates from either Thoranabandigala or Kondagala in the Samanala mountain range, and joins the Kalu Ganga river downstream. During the rainy season, the sound of the simultaneous flows can be heard up to 6km away.
Legend has it that the waterfall was named after a local nobleman (Maapaa) who used to bathe there. The place was called Maapaa-Nana (the nobleman's bathing place), which later became Mapanana and then Mapalana.
During times of drought, the local villages hold ceremonies in the middle of the dry waterfall. They hang lighted lanterns and palm leaves from the upper reaches of the fall, beseeching the Saman god to provide rain.
Legend has it that the waterfall was named after a local nobleman (Maapaa) who used to bathe there. The place was called Maapaa-Nana (the nobleman's bathing place), which later became Mapanana and then Mapalana.
During times of drought, the local villages hold ceremonies in the middle of the dry waterfall. They hang lighted lanterns and palm leaves from the upper reaches of the fall, beseeching the Saman god to provide rain.
