Hidden paradise-Karagahathenna Mini world’s end

In Sri Lanka there are one great world’s end and few Mini world’s end. Mini world’s end list is extending now as finding of new places. This is about Karagasthenna Mini world’s end. This mini world’s end was hidden for most of human eyes. We didn’t know about such a mini world’s end till we reach closer to it. Actually we were searching for a mountain with acute drop and slab rock noted in our visit to Hawarimana peak (I will come with separate report about Hawarimana hike). This was the only thing we noted at the end of strenuous hike to Hawarimana. We called it “Thatta Kanda”-තට්ට කන්ද and our journey was to searching for it from Karagahathenna side.

Map reading told us the road to Karagasthenna towers. I have been this road before as well. Peaks around Matale were clearly seen on our way. We deviated from main road to Karagasthenna abounded line houses. On our way we have noted a road side beauty. I would like to name this silky waterfall as Karagahathenna Falls (කරගහතැන්න ඇල්ල) with 15-20m height. (This might be more seasonal as I have noted low water level in my second visit) There are only one or two people live at Karagasthenna line houses as others were removed due to threatened landslides. One estate worker mentioned the place we were searching is called as a world’s end. Journey started then.

Scenic road to Karagahathenna

Scenic road to Karagahathenna

View towards Matale

Makulussa zoomed

Wilshire and Etipola zoomed

Ambokka and Selagama Mini WE

Maussakele Kanda with towers. I have identified this as Laggala peak in my Karagasthenna trip. It should be corrected.

Get into the estate road surrounded by pinus

Towards eastern plain

Maningala

Karagasthenna Falls-road side beauty

Karagasthenna Falls-Falls in two steps. 15-20m height.

Karagasthenna Falls-closer view

Karagasthenna Falls

Karagasthenna Falls

Pathana situated closer to village

Sudu Kanda-Minneriya (second line of mountains) and Dimbulagala-far away

Estate road to Karagasthenna line houses

Paddies at Puwakpitiya

Karagasthenna abounded village

Karagasthenna abounded village

Karagasthenna abounded village

“එළුවන් කන්නයි මo ආවේ”

Address of line house

As usual Google map was our guide. We walked and hiked along Karagasthenna tea estate and after about 1-1.5 km distance tea estate was over. But road continues and ended up at an opening area, this might be the latter part of abounded tea estate. It was a winding road around hills in this opening area. “Thatta Kanda” was seen far away with a flag pole. The last part of the path was well paved between short bushes.

This over grown tea estate is an evidence of lack of human visit. The giant mountain with misty cap is called Gonamaduwa Kanda.(ගෝණමඩුව කන්ද)

View of Pitawala Pathana

Abounded estate road with back ground of hills

Karagahathenna towers

Peak with greenish cap….

Delicate

Looking for Jambola.

Cross section of Knuckles massif over forest line

This part has just a foot pathway

Wild beauty

Part of abounded tea estate

Perfect weather

Tea estate is over now. Foot pathway through bushes.

“Thatta Kanda” is close by.

“Thatta Kanda” is close by.

Path to heaven

Karagahathenna towers in back drop.

What we identified as “Thatta Kanda” is locally named as a Mini world’s end. It has a significant sharp drop towards Galboda village side (what we noticed at Hawarimana peak). But there is another place with good view and sharp drop at the base of this blunt mountain. I would like to name it as view point-1.

Beautiful scenery from View point-1.

Base of this mountain provides nice view towards Rajarata.

Enjoying the view….

It is the observation point of largest reservoir of SL-Moragahakanda reservoir.

Wild cattle

Surrounding view…

Surrounding view…

Nicely paved foot pathway to Mini world’s end.

View point-1.

It was a short hike from view point-1 to the Mini world’s end where flag pole is placed. Karagahathenna Mini World’s end like the observation point of the largest reservoir of Sri Lanka-Moragahakanda reservoir (මොරගහකන්ද ජලාශය). Other than that, you can watch Rathkinda-Ulhitiya reservoir with it’s hill, Maduru Oya reservoir, Omanugala, Dimbulagala, Parakrama Samudraya etc. Behind and lateral to Kulasinghe reservoir (Moragahakanda reservoir) isolated hills of Dambulla were seen: Erawula Kanda, Galkoth Kanda, Yakkuragala, Dambulugala and Gedaragala Pathana / Wahigala Pathana. Next bunch of hills were peaks around Naula-Manikdena with Lenadora, Kadigala, Arangala and Bowathenna reservoir. Karagahathenna peak with towers, Hawarimana peak (හවරිමාන කන්ද) and Sandamadala were immediate neighbors of Karagahathenna Mini world’s end. Some peaks of Kurunegala district were also seen including Beliya Kanda, Karanampotha Kanda, Kahalapalle Kale range and Dolukanda etc. As I mentioned earlier Gonamaduwa Kanda and some giants of Knuckles range were standing in front of the Mini World’s end.

Omanugala and Rathkinda Ulhitiya Kanda are seen. The reservoir next to Rathkinda-Ulhitiya Kanda is Rathkinda-Ulhitiya reservoir. Water body next to Omanugala is Maduru Oya reservoir.

Dimbulagala is seen. Sudu Kanda at Minneriya is at left corner of the picture while Parakrama Samudraya is in between Dimbulagala and Sudu Kanda.

Hills of Dambulla: Dambulugala, Yakkuragala, Erawulagala and Wahigala Pathana / Gedaragalapathana.

Erawulagala is zoomed.

Yakkuragala is seen behind Wahigala Pathana / Gedaragala Pathana.

Wahigala Pathana / Gedaragala Pathana range.

Manikdena, Beliya Kanda, Kadigala and Kahala Pallekale range.

Arangala / Naula rock with Bowathenna reservoir.

Manikdena zoomed. The water body behind Manikdena might be Ibbankatuwa reservoir.

Moragahakanda reservoir with it’s dam

This is the ultimate view from Karagahathenna Mini World’s end.

Acute drop from Mini world’s end.

The drop and water stream in between two hills.

Hawarimana (Right one)

Sandamadala

Sandamadala and Galboda village

Road to Galboda village

Dolukanda

? Karanampotha Kanda

Gonamaduwa Kanda. It obstructs the view of Riverstone.

Giants of Knuckles.

Simply speaking it is a Mini world’s end with 360 degree view and good view point towards dry zone hills. Foot pathway extended beyond Mini World’s end but we didn’t try on it.

At Karagahathenna Mini world’s end. It is the view point-2. It has a space for camping as well. But wind and overcast might be the problem.

At Karagahathenna Mini World’s end with fabulous view.

Facing to Hawarimana

Team except me at Karagahathenna Mini World’s end.

The foot pathway and view point-1 from Karagahathenna Mini World’s end

They are enjoying the view

Nuwan is posing…

We enjoyed the clear view from Karagahathenna Mini World’s end. On our way back we just stepped on to the “Pathana” next to abounded Karagahathenna village. It is also a good view point towards Knuckles range and elephant dung was found there. It was the end of exploring of another unknown destination

Selfie at view point-1.

On our way back…

Pitawala Pathana

Pathana next to abounded Karagahathenna village.

View of Gonamaduwa Kanda and Maussakele Kanda

Elephant dung at Pathana.

View of Maningala from Pathana.

View of Thunhisgala from Pathana.

Painted kovil

Back to the place where we parked our bikes.

Thanks for reading