If the late 50\u2019s \u201cThe Bridge on the River Kwai\u201d, the epic war movie, brought the otherwise obscure yet picturesque village of Kitulgala, in the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka, into the limelight, \u201cThe Bridge in the Sky\u201d in the Uva Province, has equally turned the sleepy yet scenic little town of Ella into a major tourist hotspot of the island in recent times.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

T<\/b>he British colonialists, who ruled Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) from the early 19<\/span>th<\/span> century until the middle of the 20<\/span>th<\/span> century, had to embark upon mammoth projects of construction of railroads, tunnels, bridges, etc. mainly to transport tea and coffee from the hill country to Colombo. The first segment of the Main Line was opened in 1864, with the construction of the line from Colombo to Ambepussa, 54 km to the east. Then the Main Line was extended in stages, being connected to Kandy in 1867, to Nawalapitiya in 1874, to Nanu Oya in 1885, to Bandarawela in 1894, and to Badulla in 1924. This Main Line, beginning from Colombo Fort and winding through the lush green Sri Lankan hill country to reach Badulla, its final destination, is considered by many to afford one of the most scenic train rides in all of Asia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Harold Cuthbert Marwood was a British civil engineer of the Railway Construction Department of the Ceylon Government Railway (CGR). He was commissioned to complete the final leg of the railway from Bandarawela to Badulla. When the constructors reached the village of Demodara, 3 km from Ella, they came across a deep gap with a quagmire at its bottom and were perplexed. How to overcome this stumbling block with sturdy columns to be erected on the loose marshy ground that would withstand the massive weight of locomotives, was at issue. As around that time World War I had broken out, the import of steel from Europe had been suspended due to its relocation to other war-related projects at the battlefront. But, according to folklore that has been circulating all these years, a local constructor by the name of P. K. Appuhami, offered to provide assistance to the British. Appuhami, who was born in 1870 and hailed from the village of Keppetipola near Welimada, was also a traditional drummer and devil dancer in <\/span>Thovil <\/span><\/i>(exorcising) ceremonies in villages. He had befriended the British constructors, winning their confidence. Appuhami told Marwood to topple the neighbouring large rocks onto the muddy ground and erect columns there in rock, brick and cement in the absence of steel. Yet, Marwood, thinking that Appuhami lacked engineering expertise, could not be assured of his suggestion. But, the local constructor was thoroughly convinced that his idea would work. The British, ultimately, consented to his plan and the work began and was completed in 1921 at a low cost. It is hearsay that Appuhami, to demonstrate the strength of the bridge, lay down under the bridge when the first train made its maiden journey across it. The British, very much pleased with him, offered him the balance payment and he carried four carts full of silver coins from Colombo. On his return he provided meals for the villagers for two days and also gave one silver coin each.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This viaduct bridge with nine arches, located between the Ella and Demodara railway stations, is also called \u201cAhas Navaye Palama\u201d (meaning \u201cBridge of Nine Skies\u201d in Sinhalese) because when one stands below the bridge and looks up he can see the sky nine times through the nine arches. It has a length of 91.44 m, a width of 7.62 m and a height of 24.38 m.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The best time to view the bridge is early morning when there is less crowd. Several routes can take the visitors to marvel at this architectural ingenuity. One route is to travel 2 km from the Ella town on the road to Passara and going past the entrance to the Little Adam\u2019s Peak, get down at the coloured small Hindu temple and then hike, up and down, along the village pathways in agricultural settings with profuse greenery, until the bridge is reached. On the way there are several new guest houses and small restaurants, built at vantage points and providing food and drinks to those weary of the hike. During the rainy season, this route, however, cannot be recommended, as the final part of the trekking is slippery and you may come down to the bridge with muddy shoes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The next wish of the visitors, undoubtedly, is to await impatiently to take a photo when a train comes out of the tunnel, barrelling along, from the direction of Ella bound for Badulla. But, the trains do not always run on time in this locality and therefore the visitor has to wait for some time until his wish is fulfilled.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ella, situated 200 km east of Colombo, is a charming little mountain town with a soothing cooler climate, perched in the clouds at 1000 m above sea level. On one side are rolling hills with rugged mountain peaks while on the other, an undulating terrain of tea plantations is seen. Many luxurious hotels, guest houses and restaurants, catering to the needs of the foreign tourists to make their stay here enjoyable and profitable, have come into being.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Apart from the most visited Nine Arch Bridge, Ella boasts of other places as well, worthy of seeing. The Little or Mini Adam\u2019s Peak with a height of 1141 m, resembling the original peak of religious significance by the same name, now scaled by many, is one such attraction. On the way to the summit that offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding region, the visitor will come across the Flying Ravana Adventure Park which has the first-ever mega zip-line in Sri Lanka, sliding at 80 kmph. The two-wire zip-line stretches for 550 m over the precipice with iconic tea estates and lush vegetation, thus giving a thrilling and memorable experience to those who fly on it. These zip-lines are certified by the European Rope Course Association (ERCA) for maximum safety of passengers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The park also offers ATV\/quad bike rides, abseiling or roping down, archery and air rifling as gripping outdoor sporting activities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ravana Waterfall and the Ravana Cave are also located in the vicinity. According to folklore, Ravana was a mighty multi-headed demon king who ruled the ancient island of Lanka. He was the chief antagonist in the Hindu epic Ramayana who abducted the beautiful Indian queen of Sita, the wife of prince Rama, and hid her in that cave in this locality. ***\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Photo credit: Carmen Rosquilla from Spain<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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