Ussangoda visit after the Office duties

I had an opportunity to visit Tissamaharama for an official duty with Akila and Nirosh. Hence we were searching for something that we didn’t achieve yet. Suddenly I noticed Ussangoda National Park while surfing on Google Map. This is a very easy visit and a beautiful National park close to the Ocean. There is a special reason to get this place the most popular. It is that there is red sand all over the area and there some folks related to King Ravana too.

Ussangoda is a designated archaeological site, situated on the Colombo – Kataragama road near Ambalantota – Nonagama Junction in Hambantota District of Sri Lanka. It is also a nature reserve and is located in the southern turtle breeding zones. Ussangoda is a patch of high ground by the sea and spreads over a significant area. Unlike the rest of the land surrounding, it is only covered with grass and a few pockets of pigmy forests. The summit of Ussangoda area pans like a plateau for a significant length.

Ussangoda is known for its unusual placement by soil structure, flora, and location. There are many folk stories related to this site which include different takes about the land. General belief is that it is a part of a meteor or proximity to a meteor hit. The main rationale for this belief is the soils’ brick-like hard quality with a reddish colour which is unique to this patch of land. Some rocks and soil layers contain what some speculate to be remnants of extreme heat (that can be caused by an event such as a meteor hit). It is also suspected that the soil has a high concentration of minerals/metals giving its unique colour. In several places, especially by the sea-facing areas rocks and soil can be observed clearly having multiple layers usually with distinct colorization. It is, however, unclear whether these speculations have been tested in any proper scientific study at all. It can be also noticed that Ussangoda is located geographically closer to another archaeological site “Miniha Gal Kanda”, where evidence for pre-historic human existence has been found.

The rock debris has high iron concentration. Magnets attract them.

There are several legends related to the area. The site is considered a sacred/forbidden ground for general affairs in local lore. One popular belief is that Ussangoda is a ground of the local demi-god “Mangara”. Other beliefs range from religiously rooted backgrounds to the unwritten/alternate history related to Ravana. According to Hindu puranas, Ussangoda was one of the landing strips of Ravana’s Pushpaka vimana. (Wikipedia)

Satelite view of Ussangoda

Welcoming Notice

Read well

Going further

Here is it

Its like a plain

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The Ocean

Magnificent

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View of a National Park

Red

Mystery?

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Path to there

Going Back

Thank you for reading !

Sobasiri Team ©