Pitawala Pathana (Mini World's End)

Pitawala Pathana (Mini World\'s End) Pitawala Pathana (Mini World\'s End) Pitawala Pathana (Mini World\'s End)

Pitawala Pathana is a grass plain spreads over an area of about 10 ha of a gently sloping rock slab covered with just a thin soil layer. The turf grass of about 10 cm in height gives a velvety appearance to this sloping expanse of grassland. Isolated and scattered trees and shrubs could be seen. Many endemic plant and animal species are found.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is a rare type of grassland that evolved in response to a particular ecological condition and can be found nowhere else in the country. A semi evergreen forest on somewhat deeper soil surrounds the grassland.

The Pitawala Plains ends in a sheer drop. It is certainly nerve wracking to glimpse into the depths, hundreds of meters below similar to the world’s end point at Horton Plains. A gentle 750 meter hike from the ticket counter takes you to 2 view points close to each other.

The ecology and dynamics of the grassland vegetation at Pitawala Pathana is worth examining. The open meadows hold the deepest secrets compared to any habitat in Sri Lanka. With an ecology expert, you can discover its biota including amphibians, small mammals, lizards, tree frogs and a few endemic plants. Due to extreme winds, only small plants survive the rocky flat terrain.

Pitawala Patana is home to two endemic species. One is a frog known as Dumbara Galpara Mediya and the other is Patan Ala, a type of grass. There are also many carnivorous plants that trap unwary insects.

The soil in the plains is not very rich in nutrients and thus certain plants have adapted to find the required nutrients from insects. Kadulessa, one such carnivorous plant species, has a sticky serum that traps unwary insects.

From Colombo go to Kandy and then go to Matale in A9 route. From there, turn to Raththota road and come to Raththota town. Take the right turn from the three-way junction in Raththota town. It will lead you to Ilukkumbura – Puwakpitiya. the turn to Riverstan is at the 28th km post, and 3km down in Ilukkumbura road you can find Pitawala Pathana, and in about another kilometer’s distance is the Pitawala Pathana Mini World’s End.

Pitawala Pathana (Mini World\'s End) Pitawala Pathana (Mini World\'s End) Pita

À propos de la Province Centrale

La Province Centrale du Sri Lanka est principalement montagneuse. Elle s'étend sur 5 674 km² et compte 2 421 148 habitants. Parmi ses principales villes figurent Kandy, Gampola (24 730 habitants), Nuwara Eliya et Bandarawela. Sa population est un mélange de Cinghalais, de Tamouls et de Maures.

Kandy, la capitale perchée sur les montagnes, et Nuwara Eliya, ainsi que Sri Pada, sont toutes deux situées dans la Province Centrale. Cette province produit une grande partie du célèbre thé de Ceylan, cultivé par les Britanniques dans les années 1860 après qu'une maladie dévastatrice ait ravagé toutes les plantations de café de la région. La Province Centrale attire de nombreux touristes, notamment grâce à ses stations de montagne comme Kandy, Gampola, Hatton et Nuwara Eliya. Le temple de la Dent (Dalada Maligawa) est le principal lieu sacré de la province.

Le climat y est frais, et les nuits sont souvent fraîches dans les zones situées à environ 1 500 mètres d'altitude. Les versants ouest sont très humides, avec des précipitations annuelles atteignant parfois près de 7 000 mm. Les versants est, quant à eux, font partie de la zone semi-aride, ne recevant que les pluies de la mousson du nord-est. Les températures varient de 24 °C à Kandy à seulement 16 °C à Nuwara Eliya, située à 1 889 m d'altitude. Les plus hauts sommets du Sri Lanka se trouvent dans la province centrale. Le relief y est majoritairement montagneux, traversé de profondes vallées. Les deux principaux massifs montagneux sont le massif central et la chaîne des Knuckles, à l'est de Kandy.