“Dedicated
to the families and beautiful friendly people of Aranayake and its
environs….our thoughts are with you”
Immaterial
of one’s origins, December is a month for families to be nestled whilst sharing
the joys of holidays and the festivities, and what better way to indulge than
to go hiking whilst enjoying the seasonal spirit with an adventurous bunch of
family members to the elusive but omnipresent Bible rock (Bathalegala ) in the
district of Kegalle.
On
the morning after Christmas, we drove to Mawanella and turned right to
Aranayake. A few kilometres before Aranayake is the turnoff to the Batalegala
temple and thereon another two plus kilometres on a narrow winding and an
ascending road took us closer to the foothills of this near vertical mountain.
There ends the motor-able road.
A
friendly villager voluntarily offered us his immaculately clean garden to park
our vehicles. The gentlemen also offer us tea, water and biscuits for our hike
in return for nothing in particular. A portrayal of true Sri Lankan
hospitality, thoroughly appreciated by us the travellers, to these unknown
surroundings.
The
initial walk was a gradual climb on a rugged unpaved road. With a sharp turn to
the right appeared a mix of shrub and large trees with a narrow path paving the
way to the top. Every step was a foot high and sometimes more, not less. The
ascent was tiring and lung testing, but a surprisingly inexplicable mist
emerged and rejuvenated us to venture. Tiring, but a fascinating climb.
With a lone tree to signify the summit, the view was breathtaking. A chill in the air made us realize that we were definitely in a different climate and a zone. The transformation was obvious and the altimeter read 681 meters above sea level with a splendid view from GAMPOLA to NAWALAPITIYA and KADUGANNAWA to the KNUCKLES Mountains. Awe-inspiring scenes of Sri Lanka.
A Buddhist shrine and a large gantaraya (bell) signified the religious identity to this peak and were told that the rock becomes a place of worship on poya days for the villagers of HATHGAMPALA.
The
trip was in a day and the climb to this constantly intriguing mountain plain
was our goal. However, a river bath on the way back and lunch at the Ambepussa
rest-house was also a pleasurable experience. The family felt a sense of
achievement; not only through an adventure but also through bonding and shared
love…. Good times…. And we will do it again, during the next season of
festivities. Maybe, to a different destination or to the same, just to
see our new found friends.
Comments
Post a Comment