Bopath Ella ( Sinhala: බෝපත් ඇල්ල) is a waterfall situated in the

Ratnapura District Ratnapura ( Sinhala: රත්නපුර දිස්ත්‍රික්කය, Tamil: இரத்தினபுரம் மாவட்டம்) is a district of Sri Lanka in the Sabaragamuwa Province. This gem-mining centre of Sri ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. It has a shape very similar to the leaf of the

Sacred fig ''Ficus religiosa'' or sacred fig is a species of fig native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina that belongs to Moraceae, the fig or mulberry family. It is also known as the bodhi tree, bo tree, peepul tree, peepal tree, pipala tree or ...

or "Bo" (බෝ) tree, which has earned it this name. The waterfall is a major tourist attraction in the country. Local myths say that it is haunted and that it hides a treasure trove.

Location

Bopath Ella is located in a village named Agalwatte in

Kuruwita Kuruwita is a town in the Ratnapura District of Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. It is 87 km from Colombo. It used to be served by the narrow gauge Sabaragamuwa Railway, a branch of the national railway system. And known for the nearb ...

in the

Waterfall

The name "Bopath Ella" has been given to the waterfall because of its shape. The water flows through a narrow gap in the rocks and then widens, forming the shape of a leaf of a "Bo" tree which is the Sinhalese name for

sacred fig ''Ficus religiosa'' or sacred fig is a species of fig native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina that belongs to Moraceae, the fig or mulberry family. It is also known as the bodhi tree, bo tree, peepul tree, peepal tree, pipala tree or ...

(''Ficus religiosa''). "Path" means leaves of a tree and "Ella" means waterfall. Virgin forests with a rich biodiversity surround the waterfall. Bopath Ella is high. It is formed from the Kuru Ganga, which is a tributary of the

Kalu Ganga Kalu Ganga (; literally: Black River) is a river in Sri Lanka. The river originates from Sri Pada Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, reaching the sea at Kalutara after a journey. The Black River flows through the Ratnapura and the Kalutara District an ...

. Its mean rate of flow is per second, and its catchment area receives an average rainfall of annually. Water from the falls is used for paddy cultivation. Bopath Ella is also the most comprehensively studied waterfall in the country. Bopath Ella is a major tourist attraction in Sri Lanka, since it is not far from the capital,

Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...

, and is easily accessible. There have been unsuccessful attempts to use the waterfall to generate

hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

. The path to the waterfall is lined with a number of shops and stalls, and it is somewhat polluted because of this commercialization.

Stories and myths

The waterfall has been used for bathing by ancient rulers of the country when they visited the nearby Maha Saman Devale in Ratnapura. It is also believed that the deity Saman has appeared here. There are several myths associated with Bopath Ella. One such belief is that a local village girl jumped into the waterfall and killed herself when her lover abandoned her. He was reputedly a pilgrim from Colombo who failed to return to the pregnant girl. The girl's ghost is said to haunt the waterfall, and appears as a blue light. Another popular belief among the locals is that there is an ancient

treasure trove A treasure trove is an amount of money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion found hidden underground or in places such as cellars or attics, where the treasure seems old enough for it to be presumed that the true owner is dead and the he ...

hidden in the waterfall, and that one thousand human sacrifices are required to get it.

References

{{Reflist Bopath Ella Landforms of Ratnapura District Tourist attractions in Sabaragamuwa Province Articles containing video clips

Location

Waterfall

Stories and myths

See also

References