Pallan Hela Mountain

Pallan Hela, a 1065 feet tall mountain standing tall over the Gal Oya basin is alleged to be a fortress of King Saddatissa, the brother of Dutugamunu the Great and the provincial king of East, in the days gone by while some holds it to be a forest hermitage sheltering the meditating monks.

Standing tall over the Wickramasheelaramaya, a temple at Devalahinda the path towards the top of the mountain falls through the temple and permission should be sought prior to the climb.Today, a small stupa stands on the ruins of a much larger stupa, the work of the ancients while the perimeters around the olden Bo-Tree too is scattered with more ruins while steps carved onto the rock leads the way up to a pond carved into the rock with a carved gutter to channel rainwater to the pond. The drip ledged caves at the foot of the mountain are proofs to the mountain been a forest hermitage while more ruins are found on the top of the mountain in the form of a stupa and ruined buildings while a larger pond filled with clear water is too found on the peak, evidence to the archaeological importance of the mountain. The top of the mountain provides a view expanding over to the Eastern coastlinea breath-taking experience to the breathless climber.