One legend is from the epic Indian poem, the Ramayana, when Prince Rama and his brother Lakshman were fighting the demon-king Ravana of Lanka who had abducted Rama’s wife, Princess Sita. Lakshman was wounded in battle so Rama sent Hanuman, the monkey god, to the Himalayas to find some special medicinal herbs that might save the life of his brother.
When Hanuman got to the Himalayas he forgot which herbs he needed and in desperation took with him, twisted in his tail, a chunk of the mountains. On his way back to the battlefield he dropped a piece at Unawatuna forming this hillock. That’s why the village name means “fell down.” Another chunk is said to have been dropped by Hanuman to form the Ritigala Mountain, in the North Central Province.
Unawatuna is a large fishing village blessed with a beautiful sandy bay fringed with palm trees, calm turquoise water, and a bright white dagoba on the western point. Five km from Galle, it is steeped in mystery, history and legend, and was once voted the best beach in the world by the Discovery Channel. Here you may find yourself doing nothing more than lying in the sun and taking in the beauty of the place. Nevertheless, Unawatuna has a lot more to offer.
You can walk along the paths through the jungle that covers Rumassala to the top of the hill where an edifice is being built by Japanese monks of the Mahayana sect - along with a statue of Hanuman. From here, there are wonderful views across to Galle Harbour and on a clear day you can see Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak). It is also a good place for bird watching with over 60 endemic species to be seen.
Legend and history aside, what is there to do? Unawatuna is protected by a double reef and so is safe for swimming year round. |
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