Cradled between the central highlands and western southern planes, District of Kegalle is mid-way between age old tradition and new enterprise.

Once home to many up country aristocrats, regional leaders and freedom fighters, the district today boasts of a rich rubber and spice cultivation, island’s oldest and biggest graphite mine, a booming clay industry and world’s only elephant orphanage.

The oldest archaeological evidence of the district’s rich history was found during the archaeological excavations at Beli Lena cave in Kithulgala. The 30,000 year old geometric micro lithic stone tools found at the cave premises among the oldest discovered to date in the world.

Cave temples or temples build around natural caves are an indigenous architectural approach found commonly in the district while the elephant lamp’ of Dedigama an ancient hydraulics marvel stands strong witness to the rich heritage of Kegalle.
 

Kegalle Attractions

Elephant Orphanage | Landscape

The famous tourist destination, Pinnawala elephant orphanage is a nursery and a breeding ground of wild elephants established in 1975 by the Sri lanka department of Wild life conservation. The entire land expands for 25 acres. Thus this lovely orphanage can be visited within 13 km to the North West from Kegalla town, Sabaragamuwa province of Sri lanka.

The Pinnawala elephant orphanage is a home for about 88 elephants including 51 females and 37 males. Hence the orphanage has initiated to treat and look after the orphaned baby elephants, patriarchs and adult wild elephants that missed love, care and protection. Occasionally sequestered baby elephants from their herds are moved to the orphanage. Some of the baby elephants had lost their mother elephants due to accidents and poachers killings.

Elephant Orphanage | Landscape

The millennium elephant foundation,. established in 1999 is another tourist attraction in Sri lanka. The foundation was originated in 1970s as a club concept elephant bath. Since it was a brainchild of Sam samarasingha (1939-1991) declared as a place of sanctuary and a nursery where elephants are well treated, by the World society for the protection of Animals (WSPA).

The foundation is located about 2 km from pinnawela, on the karandupona - kandy road. Kegalla, Sri lanka. You will gain a rare opportunity to feed and bath the elephants. The working men will guide you to scrub the jumbos with a coconut shell. Perhaps you can enjoy an elephant ride. The elephants seem that they love to have baths as they are hardly scrubbed simultaneously.

Kovil | Historical Place

Places like Berendi kovil, basking on the kegalle district attract many tourists to Sri lanka in addtion to the Sri lankan tourism destinations. The ruins of the Berendi kovil have been identified as the only monument of the existing ruins of Seethawaka era. The edifice is dedicated to God Bahirawa (Gani).
entire site was excavated by the great archeologist H.C.P Bell. In addition to arrive the Kovil you have to travel along the Avissawella- Ginigathhena roadt ill you find the Sithwaka bridge. Passing the bridge, you are taken to the signing board erected by the Archelogical department. By the way the shrine was partly destroyed by the Portuguese during the colonial period lasted in Ceylon.