Meeyan Ella Falls is a waterfall that has not been heard of by many environmentalists and waterfall enthusiasts and also the general public in our country. At least most people do not even know where it is. This waterfall is located along the railway line to Kandy near the Ihalakotte railway station. The stream which creates the Meeyan Ella waterfall originates from a place called Helan-Madiththa on the Alagalla mountain. Originally the waterfall fell as a single stream over a rock and flowed over the villages of Walagoda and Thalagolla, joining Thalagolla Oya. Thalagolla Oya then gets connected to Ma Oya in Boella.
But today the waterfall falls into two sections with a spacing of about 50 meters. An interesting story about how once a powerful waterfall turned into two small waterfalls. After the surrender of the last kingdom of Sri Lanka to Britain, they began to build a railway from Colombo to Kandy. The section of the railway line between Polgahawela and Kandy was built in the mid-1800s. And the construction of the railway line across the Great Falls of Meeyan Ella at Alagalla was a challenging task.
To cross the Meeyan Ella, the British had to build a tunnel about 1000 feet across the Elagalla rock. Realizing that this was a huge task, they looked for alternatives. The final decision of the British was to block the top of the waterfall and cut two deep holes in the rock so that the water would fall into two small waterfalls. This is the second-longest railway tunnel in Sri Lanka and the longest is the 1865ft (558 m) Singimale Tunnel.
How to reach the meeyan ella?
You can reach this divided waterfall from Ihalakotte railway station. Walking 275 meters along the railway line, you will come across Sangaraja Leena, a small cave inhabited by Welivita Sri Saranankara Thero, who hid learning the Pali language. Another 225 meters along the railway line will take you to the 5A tunnel. If you want to explore the tunnel, it is essential to talk to the Ihalakotte railway staff and find out the latest train schedules. Facing a train in a 400-meter long tunnel can be fatal.
You will find the old railway line along the precipice of Alagalla rock parallel to the railway tunnel. There is a waterfall about 150 meters along this road. This road is full of mana trees, so it is recommended to dress appropriately before crossing this road. The tunnel is usually wet because the Meeyan Ella waterfall flows through it. After about 75 meters you will find a large hole in the left wall. It is said that this hole was used to remove debris during the excavation of the tunnel. Now this hole allows fresh air to pass through the tunnel.
