Dunhinda Waterfall
When you see it, you will feel its soothing, healing, and relaxation power beyond eternity
Dunhinda is known as one of Srilanka’s loveliest and dramatic waterfalls, which is also considered as the pride of Badulla district the central highlands with a height of 200 feet. The word “Dunhinda” is said to be translated to the word spraying water or vapor in which ‘Dun’ means word given or given while ‘hinda’ means the evaporation from the Sinhala language. The enchanting Dunhinda waterfall is located at the Badulla – Mahiyangana road around ten kilometers from Badulla town. The water of the Dunhinda falls resembles a thin cloud as it cascades a long way down into a large pool of cold crystal freshwater. The backdrop of this amazing waterfall is known as the; Dunhinda Adaviya which is divided into main water walleyes called, Rantambee and Randenigala. Water for the Rantambe comes from the Uma Oya which starts at the world’s end, while the water for the Randenigala comes from the Mahaweli River which starts from Kandy. The Dunhinda fall is covered with an epic steeped history, in which during the time where the king Rajasinghehas been ruling the river was stuck by a giant wild creeper between the mountains which causes the Badulla town to covered with the flood. In the idea of solving the situation, the king gave the responsibility of clearing the wild creeper to a person named “Ranhavadi Duraya” however with over three months of great effort this person was able to clear it giving birth to a new waterfall and protecting the valleys. On the other hand, there has been another legend saying the Dunhinda waterfall has been the home for a secret hidden passage around 30 kilometers in distance for the valuable treasure of prince Kumarasinghe who lived in Uva.
Other than the most exciting pre-historical stories grown up surrounding the Dunhinda falls making it famous, there are some more factors attracting both local and foreign tourists towards the falls. Reaching closer to the falls is just a few steps away from the main road, consisting of a small car park which provides warm-up welcoming facilities such as; cafes, food stalls selling warm herbal drinks is the most famous among all visitors. When following the path towards the base of the waterfall there are granite cliffs on either side covering a pool of clear fresh soothing water at the bottom. It is quite spectacular and well worth the effort of coming towards the base of this amazing fall. It has been a famous picnic spot full of relaxation including tables and benches built to enjoy the beauty in its maximum. The area surrounding the Dunhinda falls is rich with plenty of valuable plantations because of the good supply of water from the waterfall and the humidity around it. Plants such as Mara, Nelli has locally known are just a few to mention common plants grown in this area. Although the Dunhinda waterfall is the seventh highest on the island, because of the impressive quantity of water spewing out and its volume makes it create huge clouds of water sprays making the Dunhinda waterfall to be one of the most enchanting and famous waterfalls in Srilanka.
