Belihul
Oya
The small village known as Belihul
Oya meaning ‘sacrificial torch
brook’ is yet the astounding
natural beauty of the area as well
as the abundant fauna and flora,
have been much appreciated by the
discerning over the past two centuries.
It is covered to their very crests
with a mantle of the densest, richest,
green-trees and palms interlaced
by a network of creepers. And appears
as if nature in an ecstasy sought
to show how prodigal it can be.
Despite the depredations of the
past century, this is indeed true
of the lush rolling hillsides today,
the green quilt of which is broken
only occasionally by a white Buddhist
Dagoba.
Belihul Oya offers some of the best
walking terrain on the island and
great opportunities for watching
wildlife. Its strengths as a trekking
hotspot stem not just from the numerous
trails crisscrossing the area but
also the variant scenery, abundant
wildlife, tumbling waterfalls, gushing
rivers, as well as the gratifyingly
fresh climate. Since it is situated
in the Intermediate Upland Zone,
a climatically transitional area
linking the dry and the wet zones,
it results in a diverse floral and
faunal wonderland.
The village consists of not much
more than the atmospheric riverside
Rest House and a few houses and
shops. The river that flows through
it is the Belihul Oya from which
this tiny blink-and-you’ll-miss-it
place gets its name. This river,
approximately 20 kilometers long,
is actually one of the shortest
in Sri Lanka. It originates on Horton
Plains high above, then drops and
flows through an assortment of eco-systems
all the way into the Samanalawewa
Reservoir and is a spectacular assortment
of birds, butterflies, and dragonflies
flitting above the rippling water.
The luxuriant verdure of Belihul
Oya stretches over, between and
through the velveteen valleys of
the region down to the river itself,
and is broken only by patches of
lusciously green paddy fields, fed
by streams that trickle through
the plots. Different varieties of
palms and trees break the vista
of blue sky above, while always
visible are the mountains in the
not-so-faraway distance. There are
also tea plantations within the
hills around Belihul Oya; estates
that can easily be reached on one
of the trails that can be explored
hereabouts. The atmosphere is quite
simply breathtakingly peaceful.
The Belihul Oya creates some very
beautiful waterfalls on its downward
path, including Baker’s Falls
on Horton Plains, Pahanthuda Falls
and Demodara Falls. These and others,
such as Sri Lanka’s highest,
the breathtaking Bambarakanda Falls,
are only a short drive or walk away.
Belihul Oya is all about experiencing
natural beauty so if you are after
cultural immersion in the form of
temples and archaeological remains,
you cannot sate your appetite here.
However, in the town stands the
Church of St Mary, a whitewashed
building complete with an interesting
three-tiered spire that overlooks
terraces of paddy. There is a tiny
graveyard, though the dates on the
graves don’t go back further
than about 1970.
Five kilometres along the road is
the olden Uggal Aluthnuwara Dewalaya,
an ancient shrine dedicated to God
Kataragama. This building is the
most interesting Buddhist site in
the area, built during the time
of the Kandyan King Senarath Yapa
in 1304. It overlooks a large area
of attractive parkland and is circled
by a wall so that it resembles a
fort. One lone palm tree rises from
the top. Stone steps rise on either
side of the structure and on reaching
the top there is a little icing-white
dagoba to one side, hidden under
and shaded by a huge bo tree. In
July/August a perahera is held that
attracts thousands of worshippers
from both near and far. In the grounds
is a little shed those houses the
festival cart and especially fenced-off
jak tree.
On your return to Belihul Oya from
here you will notice midway to the
right over the paddy fields a little
white dagoba tucked into the hillsides
– Seelagama - while to the
left of the road up the mountainside
is a little forest hermitage that
welcomes people of any religion
seeking complete isolation to meditate
and relax.
The earliest evidence of steel making
in the ancient world, dating back
to 300BC, has been found in the
Samanalawewa area. These early furnaces
were ingeniously powered by natural
draught – the monsoon winds
– rather than the forced draught
method employed elsewhere. The swords,
spears and knives of the kings’
armies were all made here from the
high-carbon steel produced. Small
particles of crude iron are still
found, especially close to the Samanalawewa
Reservoir.
The mountain peaks that watch over
Belihul Oya have imaginative names
that reflect their shapes, such
as Gon Molliya and Paravi. The close
presence of these mountains always
ensures that the weather patterns
in Belihul Oya are unpredictable.
While there are dry and wet spells
according to the south-west monsoon,
the billowing clouds that blow over
the plains, masking the tops of
the peaks from view, result in both
fierce bouts of driving rain and
light precipitation.
