Manawela Ella Falls, also known as Mana Falls (Sinhala: මානාවෙල ඇල්ල), is a 22 m high waterfall situated near Uva Paranagama in Badulla District, Sri Lanka (Kautzsch, 1983). It is formed by the Ho Oya stream at the border of the Uva basin (Kautzsch, 1983).
Locals link this waterfall to the time of King Ravana, a mythical character depicted in the Indian epic Ramayanaya. However, the authenticity of the Ramayanaya is controversial and hence it is today dismissed as a complete myth by Sri Lankan scholars (JRASSL, 2014). Some people also believe that King Valagamba (103, 89-77 B.C.) was hiding for his protection in one of the caves located near this fall.
Immediate above the waterfall is a small dam called Manawela Amuna and there is a seat-like hollow on the rock along with a few base holes used to fix wooden pillars or supporters to hold roofs. Villagers believe that a hermit king deposited his treasure in a niche carved out in the rock and it still lies secure behind the falling of the water (Kautzsch, 1983). Locals name this hermit king "Manawa" in order to explain how the present name Manawela is formed. Manawela can be roughly interpreted as the "waterway of Manawa" (Manawa+Ela in Sinhala). A king by the name of Manawamma (684-718 A.D.) ruled the Anuradhapura Kingdom but it is unclear whether this site has a historical connection with that king.
Attribution
References
1) JRASSL, 2014. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka New Series, Vol. 59, No. 2, Special Issue on the Ramayana (2014). https://www.jstor.org/stable/i40203619. pp.1-112.
2) Kautzsch, E., 1983. A guide to the waterfalls of Sri Lanka: Tisara Prakasakayo. pp.43-44.
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This page was last updated on 31 July 2023