Udawattakelle Sanctuary

UIdawattekelle sanctuary is a historical forest reservation in hill country during the kandyan period udawattakelle sanctuary was called as “uda wasala watta “ it has been recorded that who called senkeda for who named the city real name senkadagala derives ,lived in a cave in this forest .the cave now known as the senkadagalalena is located on the slope above the temple of the tooth the sanctuary is also of religious importance as there are three Buddhist meditation hermitage and three rock shelter dwellings for Buddhist monk ,senanayakaramaya and Tahpowanaya and three cave dwellings for Buddhist monks “visuddhi-lena maître –Lena and senkadagala –Lena

The sanctuary is famous for it is extensive avifauna the reserve also contains a great variety of plant, species, especially lianas, shrubs and small trees., many of small and medium size mammals that inhabit sri lanka can be seen here several kind of snakes and other reptiles might also be seen at udawattakelle was announced as a forest reserve in 1856 and it become a sanctuary in 1938.The forest was reserved for the royal family and the pond situated in the forest was used for bathing the public was restricted from accessing the forest hence the name “forbidden forest”

Udawettakelle is a popular Bird watching among other Bird watching places many kind of Birds are common in the forest “myna, Blue winged, Leaf Bird, spotted Dove Golden –fronted. Emerald Dove, crimson-fronted Bardet, Tickell s, Blue flycatcher