Many places in Sri Lanka are linked to mythology. Unawatuna from Sri Lanka has an interesting history of Indian-Sri Lankan mythology.
In Valmiki’s epic story “Ramayanaya”, King Rama’s brother Laxman is wounded in battle. The monkey king Hanuan is sent to bring medicinal herbs to heal Laxman. Hanuman, obsessed with higher powers, fails to identify the correct herbal plant. Therefore, he lifts the whole mountain and brings it back. A piece of the mountain falls to a coastal area of Sri Lanka. The terminology “Una-watuna” gives the meaning of “fallen”. This area has been known as Unawatuna ever since.
Unawatuna is a coastal city located in the Southern Province, Galle District of Sri Lanka. The area is a great tourist attraction for its exotic beaches, places of historical value and linked to mythology, and for the ecotourism related to the Coral reef that protects the beach and a mangrove called Kadolana that acts as a buffer in the lagoons of the zone. .
The beach is one of the twelve most beautiful and travel-friendly in the world. There are a considerable number of tourists who come from all over the world to witness the endless beauty of the area.
Rumassala is believed to be the piece of mountain that fell from the Hanuman story (recounted above). The mountain is facing the sea and actually has a variety of medicinal herbs all over the mountain. Recently, a dagoba or Buddha Pagoda was built in the area called “Saama Chaithyaya” or Peace Pagoda. Many Buddhists, local and foreign, come to worship this throughout the year.
The coral reef that protects the beach is a paradise for nature lovers. These can be visited by boats or diving facilities can be found frequently. The fur expands a lot creating a series of picturesque beaches and quiet lagoons all over the place. In the lagoons, the semi-salty water provides a perfect habitat for the growth of the mangrove swamp known locally as Kadolana. Kadolana creates an ecosystem full of beauty and a very high rate of biodiversity. Boat tours are offered for tourists to visit the quiet and cool mangrove caves that cover a large number of waterways in the area.
There are a number of five star tourist hotels located in the related area for accommodation. Some of these are designed as traditional Sri Lankan rest houses or modern hotels. The newly built southern highway shortens long hours of driving to a very short fast commute. But still, if someone likes to enjoy the view, they can always take the train or other means of transport along the Galle road that goes to the shore.
This is a place that is really worth visiting. So if you haven’t been there yet, come visit Unawatuna, Sri Lanka. And you will find that you cannot leave the place.
