Kelani Nadee Yathra - What Yathrees will see.....

Meeting at Yatiyantota

ECO-V members had a another visit on the 25th of June to Sri pada mountain ( Adam's Peak) to check the route  of Kelani Nadee Yatra. This is also a Thiresi charika where ECO-V members get to gether to watch nature. With the preparation for Kelani Nadee Yathra, our members have become more active and most of them want to contribute to it. We had few planning meetings with officials at Yatiyantota Pradeshiya Sabawa the local government at Yatiyantota. The chairman of Pradeshiya Sabhawa, MOH, A police officer, two Principals, members of local security council, youth council representatives, business men and some media representatives were there for the meeting.  They all were very happy and pledged the support for the journey in August. Thanks to the chairman we had our lunch free of charge from a well known hotel in sitting next to Kelani river. 

Beginning of kelani River

team coming down from peak

Same day evening we met Neal who was our guide to show us the beginning of kelani river. We all went to Wathsala Inn in Nallathanniya and met Nimal, who was very supportive from the day he heard about Yatra. He prepared our dinner (Rotti) and we started climbing at 8.30 in the night. Wow!! what an experience..climbing Sri Pada at night during off season (I have done this during day time when we conducted research at off season in 2002-2004). When we were reaching the peak it was around 1a.m. We all had to face heavy clouds and wind. We all got wet by the time we reach the peak (7360 ft) and it was very cold. Thanks to Sunil Aiya care taker at the peak a friend of Neal we had warm coffee and mats to sleep. It was not very comfortable as the wind was so powerful and floor was damp and cold. However after 3 hrs of rest we got up from our (non) sleeping areas and got ready to come down. No sun rise was seen as it was too cloudy that day and came down through the heavy fog from Ratnapura route. After coming down Neal took us on another foot path which joined with Nallathanniya route again. Its a known thing that most of the people who climb up will be accompanied by one or two dogs. We got 4 of them during our trip. 

It was a small water fall we saw as "the start" of the kelani river. According to Neal its one of the starting places but there are few more and its normally a creek but due to heavy rain it has more water at the moment. So we decided not to climb up again following the water fall to see the actual beginning.  By that time we all were so tired and wet. After that we all came down slowly along Nallathanniya route and came to Colombo on 26th evening. We all were tired and legs were aching but feeling happy about wonderful "Thiresi Charika"

"Thiresi kids" were waiting for me for their lessons but I was too tired to speak again.