Bogoda Wooden Bridge

Bogoda wooden bridge and temple is close to Hali-ela town.The ancient rock temple, partly built into the rocks to one side of the bridge has a few old murals, a large reclining Buddha & one in Samadhi position. The rock was converted into a temple by King Walagambahu (104-76 BC). The king found refuge in the rock from the marauding Dravidian invaders from South India as he did in Dambulla caves. Upon regaining his kingdom, he had the rock temple built in gratitude as he built the world renowned (A World heritage Site) Rangiri Dambulu Temple (Golden Dambulla Rock Temple).

In one of famous literary works of Lanka named Sandesha Kavya (1612-1624) (Letter of Poems), travellers were encouraged to worship at this temple on their route from Badulla to Kandy. Behind the temple, down some steps is an entrance to a tunnel believed to run through the mountain to the nearby tea estate, Tudumale. It has been used by King Walagambahu during his 2 1/2 years of hiding at Bogoda. In the present era, no human has ventured through it.

Bogoda This very peaceful place with a mall monatery and rock temple I well off the beaten track, off the road to the north of Hali-ela, 13 km from Badulla. The attractive 16th-Century wooden bridge across the Gallanda Oya which I built with out nail (the original claimed to date from the 1st century). The only surviving one of it kind, it ha an unuual tiled roof in the Kandyan style supported on carved pillars. The railings are painted with natural lacquer. The Raja Maha Vihare rock temple nearby ha old mural and pre-Christian inscriptions.