Hills around Kurunegala Town

Kurunegala town is surrounded by few rocks and I paid some extra attention to conquer them. All these rocks can be well seen when you walk around Kurunegala Lake as the lake is situated at center of the town. We didn’t allocate specific time to hike them and all done with some other hikes. Let me list these places:

1. Andagala
2. Maraluwa RMW and Kiribathgala
3. Ethugala
4. Ibbagala
5. Elugala / Waugala

Arrangements of hills around Kurunegala Town

How these rocks are seen to Kurunegala Lake

View of Ibbagala and Ethugala over Kurunegala Lake

Ethugala and Buddha statue. This is the icon of Kurunegala.

Ibbagala

Wawugala / Elugala

Walking pathway around Kurunegala Lake

Now we will go one by one.

Andagala (ආදාගල)

As it looks like an Eel (Anda) called as Andagala. This black skinny long rock extends from Kiribathgala (Kuruminiyagala  /කුරුමිණියාගල) to Ibbagala. We have hiked Andagala in an evening following the hike of Bisogala.

Directions:

Muththetugala-Hiripitiya road (7.494965, 80.378200) -> turned to by road to Maraluwawa RMV (7.509426, 80.377905) -> Next turn is to base of Andagala (7.507785, 80.373781).

It is just a 20-30 minutes hike from Base to the top of this rock. It has a gradual ascend to the top of Andagala.

There is a structure built by granite stones at the middle of the rock in view of operating a cable car system from Andagala to Elugala (Wawugala). But it has been abounded.

We have enjoyed the sun set from Andagala. In addition we were able to watch the train running between Wellawa and Muththettuwagala. You can view Hadurukkanda, Belgoda Kanda, Parape Kanda, Werapola, Yakdessagala, Ibbagala, Bisogala, Ambokka, Dolukanda, Kiribathgala, Kurunegala town and Kurunegala Lake from Andagala.

At base of Andagala

Along the rock…

Reached top of Andagala

Kurunegala Lake and a part of the town seen

View of Kurunegala town from Andagala

The slope of Andagala. Ibbagala is situated next to Andagala. Ethugala is covered by Ibbagala.

Greenish paddies are such a common finding at Kurunegala District. It is not changed closer to the town even.

Kiribathgala and Maraluwawa RMV. We got on to Andagala between the gap of Kiribathgala and Andagala.

Maraluwawa RMV

Dolukanda

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Hadurukkanda, Parape Kanda and Belgoda Kanda

Kiribathgala (closer), Yakdessagala (middle and spiky) and Werapola

Walking over the back of Eel.

The structure built on middle of Andagala to operate cable cars.

Another view of it

The team

I was able to get on it.

Millennium City housing scheme, paddies, Kurunegala Lake and Kurunegala Town

Zoomed view of Millennium City housing scheme and swimming pool

Millennium City Housing Scheme

Closer view of Kurunegala Lake. The road around the Lake also can be seen here.

Boating at Kurunegala Lake

Sun set over Kurunegala Town

Towards Alawwa and Polgahawela

Slight ascend to the highest point of the rock

These were a common finding over Andagala rock.

Evening sun rays make golden colour on picture.

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Sun set

Busy Kurunegala Town

Welagedara ground (closer) and Maligapitiya Ground

Muththettugala-Hiripitiya Road

Trying to get on to the top of Andagala.

Seems to be the highest point of Andagala

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Kurunegala in monochrome

The train running from Muththetugala to Wellawa

Yakdessagala

Sun set begins….

Silhouette

Yakdessagala

Coming down….

The moon comes….

Kiribathgala

Good bye Andagala

Ethugala / Kurunegala Rock (ඇතුගල) (7.485149, 80.370117) (335m)

Ethugala and the Buddha statue on top of the rock is the symbol of Kurunegala. I did a solo hike to Ethugala in early morning on my way to Ibbagamuwa. There are two ways to reach the top of Ethugala: Routine tarred road and the foot pathway.

Directions: Kurunegala->Kandy Road->Turn to Wathhimi Road (7.486773, 80.366685) -> Turn to Ethugala Road (7.488883, 80.367949)

OR

Kurunegala->Dambulla Road->Turn to Wathhimi Road (7.488510, 80.365509) ->Turn to Ethugala Road (7.488883, 80.367949)

The foot path in left hand side, soon you enter Ethugala Road. Foot pathway directly goes over the rock along the angle. You can reach the place by a vehicle along the tarred road.

I selected the foot pathway for solo visit of Ethugala. It took about 30-45 minutes to reach the Buddha statue of Ethugala by following the foot pathway.

Ethugala is another superb view point of Kurunegala town. In addition to Kurunegala town, we were able to see Andagala, Kiribathgala, Yakdessagala, Nathagane and Werapola from Ethugala.

Follow the foot path over the rock

They were roaming around…..

These things reminds me Andagala

Kiribathgala / Kuruminiyagala (right), Belumgala (middle) and Eluwagala (left)

Maraluwawa Temple

View of Elugala / Waugala from Ethugala

Part of Kurunegala town, Dambulla road, Kurunegala Lake, Nathagane and Yakdessagala.

Nathagane

Yakdessagala (Right) and Werapola (Left)

Yakdessagala Range

Ibbagala RMW and Ibbagala

Close up…

Kurunegala Lake

Kurunegala Town

Kurunegala town extends to Pothuhera and Polgahawela

The clock tower junction: Kurunegala-Puttalama road (A10) runs up. Kurunegala-Kandy road (A10) is coming down. A10 is Katugasthota-Puttalama Road.

Kurunegala Bus stand

The clock tower junction.

Malay Jumma Mosque

The Lake round….

Paddies closer to the town

It is a beautiful morning

Scenic….

Scenic….

Hills far away

Ethugala Buddha statue

Ethugala Buddha Statue

A bend of a tarred road to Ethugala

Foot path to Ethugala

Elugala / Waugala (7.494296, 80.355552) (එළුගල /වැවුගල)

Elugala / Waugala is a small rock situated closer to Kurunegala Lake. It can be approached from Kurunegala-Puttalama road. After hike Gonagama Kanda we have visited Elugala on our way to home.

Directions: Get turn to Kathiresan Kovil Road-(7.489285, 80.361172) ->then to S Lake Road (7.491286, 80.3619740) ->then to Elugala (7.491981, 80.360779)

This flat rock has a temple-Waugala Wiharaya on top of it. You can drive up to the temple.  We have observed the similar structure like Andagala built on top of Elugala to operate cable car system. As it is a flat small you can’t see many structures from top of Elugala. But we were able to view Ethugala, Ibbagala, Andagala, Kiribathgala, Hadurukkanda, Belgoda Kanda, Parape range, Yakdessagala and Nathagane from Elugala.

Along the rock of Elugala

Elugala Temple

The structure built on top of Elugala to operate cable cars.

The structure built on top of Elugala to operate cable cars.

View of Andagala and Kurunegala Lake from Elugala.

View of Ibbagala and Ibbagala RMV from Elugala

View of Ethugala and Buddha statue from Elugala. The concrete road to Elugala is also seen.

Kiribathgala is seen over Kurunegala Lake.

Dolukanda was seen from the edge of Andagala

Yakdessagala Range

Towards Hadurukkanda, Belgoda Kanda and Parape range (Beyond Ethugala)

Hadurukkanda

Hadurukkanda

Belgoda Kanda is covered with mist

Nathagane. Saragama Lake and Saragama Temple.

Might be Yodamuwa Kanda at Polgahawela (middle)

Maraluwawa RMV (මරළුවාව රජමහා විහාරය)

Maraluwawa RMV and Kiribathgala are situated next to Andagala. I have not been at Kiribathgala but at Maraluwawa RMV. This journey happened in early morning on our way to Ibbagamuwa-Kotagala. There is a by road to Maraluwawa RMV from Muththettugala-Hiripitiya road. (7.509426, 80.377905). There is a mortable road up to the temple. You can visit at caves and slab inscription at Maraluwawa Temple.

The by road to Maraluwawa RMV

Uphill

Maraluwawa RMV

Information on Rock inscription

Stupa of Maraluwawa RMV

The rock pond….

The cave

The slab rock in front of the Stupa gives a superb view of surrounding. We could see Andagala, Ibbagala, Ethugala and Elugala which are surrounding Kurunegala Lake.

Rocks around Kurunegala Lake: Andagala, Ibbagala and Ethugala

Close up….

Elugala /Waugala

Dolukanda

Unknown

Wow…

Maraluwawa temple and Kiribathgala

I was not able to visit Ibbagala and Kiribathgala up to now.

 Thanks for reading