නිල් දිය පොකුණ

Nildiya Pokuna Cave - Karandagolla Cave


Useful Information

Location: Karandagolla road, Ella 90100.
13.3 km from the Ella, at the Karandagolla-Roseland-Heeloya Road.
(6.8330528, 81.0658520)
Open: All year daily.
[2023]
Fee: Adults LKR 3000.
[2023]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave
Light: bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours: D=1.5 h, VR=50 m, L=400 m.
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:
Address: Nildiya Pokuna Cave, Karandagolla road, Ella 90100, Tel: +94-77-4557727.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History


Description

නිල් දිය පොකුණ, also நீல நீர் குளம் (Nildiya Pokuna, Blue Water Pool) is a semi show cave, as it costs a rather steep entrance fee and has guides. It is a spacious passage and more or less horizontal. At the end of the 400 m long passage is a cave lake, the sump behind was explored by cave divers. This cave lake gave the name to the cave, as nil diya pokuṇa translates Blue Water Pool. It is also called Karandagolla Cave. It is used for swimming, it seems both the cave and the lake are quite warm, and the water in the lake is very clear.

On the other hand it is quite dirty, there are only rough trails and no light. The entrance is an irregular hole in the ground in the forest. To enter the cave it is necessary to climb down the small shaft until the huge main passage is reached. The guides provide a steel ladder for the descent. We recommend clothes which can get dirty, good shoes, and a helmet with headlamp. The cave is not suitable if you are not able to do the climb at the entrance, so surefootedness and basic physical fitness are necessary.

King Rawana brought Sita from India and kept her in a very comfortable and very safe place. Many believe that this cave is the ruined underground palace complex which is now filled with blue water. Once there were numerous tunnels which stretched for many kilometers, and connected many important places. This included the Ravana Ella cave, the Nuwara Eliya near the Bogoda Rajamaha Viharaya, and the Dowa Rajamaha Viharay. There is also an underground chamber with a throne and a crown in it. But the tunnels were closed under the protection of the Police Special Task Force.

This legend is quite persistent and there are many locals who actually believe it. We guess that the extraordinary walls, which are actually the planes of limestone layers, and are completely devoid of speleothems, are the reason why many believe the tunnels were artificial.