Madu Ganga and Madampa River

Madu Ganga / Madu River (මාදු ගග) and Madampa River (මාදම්පා ගග) are two water streams situated at Ambalangoda. Madu Ganga / Madu River is exactly situated at Balapitiya. Both these rivers make two lakes before it connects with sea. Actually those are widening of the river before it touches with sea. There are some islands situated at these lakes and it needs a boat ride to reach some islands.
Tourists visit mainly Madu Ganga / Madampa River in view of boating and visiting islands. Madampa River is a less visited place but rich in beauty and variation.

Madu Ganga / Madu River (මාදු ගග)
Madu Ganga is a minor watercourse which originates near Uragasmanhandiya (ඌරගස්මoහන්දිය) in Galle district. It makes Madu Ganga Lake before it joins with Indian Ocean. Madu Ganga Lake together with the smaller Randombe Lake, to which it is connected by two narrow channels, forms the Madu Ganga wetland. The Madu Ganga Wetland was formally declared in 2003, in terms of the Ramsar Convention. Madu Ganga wetland constitutes it’s estuary, mangrove islets and Madu River. This wetland is the home for 303 plant species and 248 species of vertebrae animals.
Islands of Madu Ganga cover 915Ha and there are 64 islands of various sizes. The largest island is known as “Ma Doowa” (මා දූව) which is the largest inhabited island within the country. There are 300 families live there.

My first visit to Madu Ganga happened in 2020 May, soon after Easter attacks. Compared to Madampa River, Madu Ganga has well developed boating service to roam around the islets and River. There are number of boat operators start the tour from Balapitiya and visit few islands of the lake.

Nuwan and Kelum have arranged the boat tour on behalf of me to visit Madu Ganga. It was quite a late start and we got in to the boats around 10am. This was the time it had less visitors / tourists due to terrorist attacks. We were able to see Ma Duwa which connects to the mainland by a bridge and “Satha Paha Duwa” (සත පහ දූව) (6.295972, 80.058587). In addition there was a lot of “Isso Kotu” (ඉස්සෝ කොටු) / fresh water prawn farming along the river. As I mentioned earlier this is a frequently visited place, they have made some huts on the water to sell food items to travellers. The boat went under the canopy of Mangrove trees and we stopped at “Koth Duwa” (කොත්දූව).

At boat house. Usually it is a seated boat with canopy.

“Isso Kotu” (ඉස්සෝ කොටු) / fresh water prawn farming is a common fining related to Madu Ganga.

Some huts are made to sell food items to tourists

Along Madu River.

Under the canopy of Mangrove trees

Mangrove canopy

Some of these paths are natural and some made for boating purpose

Coming out…..

A lot of huts / resting places are made in relation to mangrove trees to attract tourists

Fishing at Madu Ganga

“Satha Paha Duwa” (සත පහ දූව)

The shrine at “Satha Paha Duwa” (සත පහ දූව)

A bridge connects two islets

The bridge connect “Ma Duwa” with mainland

A temple at “Ma Duwa”

Inhabitants of “Ma Duwa”

Temple of “Koth Duwa”

My second visit to Madu Ganga happened after few months of first visit as our annual trip of the operation theater staff. Here the crowd was about twenty five and we hired two boats for the tour. All the way we travelled from Horana Hospital to Balapitiya and had breakfast at boat house premises. We strictly requested safe jackets as the boats were full. In addition to Koth Duwa they dropped us at “Kurundu Duwa” (කුරුදු දූව)-Cinnamon Island as well.

We hired two boats here.

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Some tourists at Madu Ganga.

Shops on water

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“Satha Paha Duwa”

“Koth Duwa” (කොත්දූව) (6.307407, 80.052017)

Koth Duwa is the most frequently visiting island at Madu Ganga. Koth Duwa Raja Maha Wiharaya is situated at this island and it was built by “Maha Kappina” mansion (මහා කප්පින මුදලිතුමා) who was a powerful person at Balapitiya. The history of this old temple goes back to Polonnaruwa Kingdom. It is believed this was a hiding place for tooth relic in two occasions. The Bo tree at Koth Duwa is one of the very first 32 “Bo” plants taken from Jaya Sri Maha Bodiya. “Koth Duwa” alone can be approached from main land and the chief monk would bring you to the temple by motor boat.

Koth Duwa Temple

Entering to Koth Duwa Temple

ආවාස ගෙය

Bo tree at Koth Duwa temple

.	Small stupa at temple

Buddha statue at Koth Duwa

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The statue of Maha Kappina mansion who built the temple

The year it was found??

How Madu Ganga is seen to Koth Duwa Temple

Team at Koth Duwa Temple

Team at Koth Duwa Temple

“Kurundu Duwa” (කුරුදු දූව) /Cinnamon Island (6.296737, 80.057374)

This is another popular island where you can see how Cinnamon is prepared. I have visited there in my second visit to Madu Ganga. A villager explains and demonstrates nicely how to prepare Cinnamon. At the end you can taste a Cinnamon tea and can buy Cinnamon products.

Get into the Cinnamon Island

Cinnamon Island-

Watching the demonstration

Demonstration of preparing Cinnamon

Demonstration of preparing Cinnamon

Utensils

How to dry Cinnamon

Cinnamon Tea

Cinnamon Oil

Fish Therapy at Madu Ganga
Fish Therapy is another common activity of Madu Ganga Boat tour. I also have enjoyed it in my first visit. There are squares / sections in water where school of fish come and message your foot. It costs Rs 200 per person per session.

A fish therapy unit

A fish Therapy section

School of fish

Foot at fish therapy

At fish therapy

At fish therapy

Enjoying fish therapy

The team at fish therapy

Usually this boat tour ends closer to Madu Ganga sea mouth. Though we are not exerted at boat tour, we can easily get exhaust in couple of hours due to heat.

Within Mangroves

The path at Mangroves

These places are called Ja-Kotu (ජා කොටු), used for inland prawn fishery.

“Seema Malakaya”- සීමා මාලකය

.	It is also a frequently visiting place

The bridge of “Ma Duwa”

Under the bridge

.	Balapitiya Railway station

Railway Bridge

Colombo-Galle road

Madu Ganga sea mouth / Estuary

Madampa River (මාදම්පා ගග)
Madampa River also forms a lake before it joins with sea at Urawatta-Ambalangoda. This lake is called Madampa Lake. Madampa Lake, Mangroves and River are declared as Madampawila sanctuary (මාදම්පාවිල අභය භූමිය)
Compared to Madu Ganga, there is only few boat tours operate here. Here we traveled to Karandeniya Shailathalaramaya temple by boat along Madampa River. The longest sleeping Buddha statue of south Asia is situated at this temple.
Madampa River boat tour starts from Ambalangoda town. The River is bordered mainly by forest and mangrove trees. There are connecting streams (Ela-ඇල) to the river from surrounding. Thalgasgoda Ela (තල්ගස්ගොඩ ඇල) is one of its. Islands of Madampa River are Miri Eta Duwa, Karuwala, Cinnamon Island and Delduwa. Delduwa is the largest out of these. Our boat has turned to Thalgasgoda Ela from Madampa River and sailed along it. We had an opportunity to pluck a Watakeyia flower/ Pandanus kaida to bring to the temple

Madampa River Jetty at Ambalangoda

The boat we travelled

Madampa River

Houses situated closer to the river

The hotel called Landa River House

Gin Pol / Mangrove Palm / ගිo පොල්

Madampa River

Another Hotel

Railway Bridge crosses Madampa River

“Seema Malakaya”/ සීමා මාලකය

Broken “Seema Malakaya”

Mangrove Palm-Gin Pol

Mangroves

Mangroves

Boating along Ela

Came out of the canopy

Connecting bridge of Delduwa with main land

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Entering to Thalgasgoda Ela

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වැටකෙයියා මල

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.	There are cultivations and people come by boats.

To worship the temple

Closer to temple

Galagoda Shailathalaramaya Viharaya (ගලගොඩ ශයිලතලාරාමය) (6.262913, 80.073263)
This temple is situated on a hill with good surrounding view called, Galagoda. History of this hill goes back to Dambadeniya Era. The minister called Devapathiraja, has used this place as a view point to watch ships coming to the island.
The sleeping Buddha statue at this temple was built by the person called Iyonis (ඉයෝනිස් උපාසක මහතා) during middle of 19th century. It was the time people were so enthusiastic to build new Buddha statues (Ex-Wavrukannala, Weherahena) and Mr. Iyonis has visited India to examine the sleeping Buddha statue at Kusinara. Later he has built this longest sleeping Buddha statue of South Asia at Galagoda Shailathalaramaya Temple. It is 118 feet long and renovated following attacks of treasure hunters.
Though we visited the temple by boat along Madampa Lake, this can be approached by a vehicle as well. Drive about 3km along Ambalangoda-Elpitiya road and pass Wathugedara junction to reach Galagoda temple. There are steps to reach the temple.

We brought Watakeyia Flowers to worship the temple

Paper article about Longest Sleeping Buddha statue of Asia. Click image to read.

Statue of Mr. Iyonis who found this temple.

Statue of King Elara

Statue of Great King Dutugamunu

Longest Sleeping Buddha statue of South Asia.

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Ceiling

We are with longest Buddha statue.

The Galagoda hill was used as a view point

Stupa at temple

The team at temple

Small bridge over Madampa Lake

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Then we have sailed to Delduwa which is the largest island of Madampa River. Delduwa Vivekarama Aranya Senasanaya is situated at Delduwa Island.

Delduwa Vivekarama Aranya Senasanaya (දෙල්දූව විවේකාරාම ආරණය) (6.230967, 80.068447)
The Buddhist hermitage situated at Delduwa Island, but this island can be approached by a vehicle as well.

Delduwa Vivekarama Aranya Senasanaya

Delduwa Vivekarama Aranya Senasanaya

Delduwa Vivekarama Aranya Senasanaya

ගිo පොල්

.	Mangrove seeds

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On our way back to Ambalangoda port we have stopped for a while to taste Kirala juice which is one of my favorites.

It is named as Madampawila Sanctuary

The road to Delduwa

Fishing at Madampa River

Colombo-Matara road crosses Madampa River

After this nice boat tour at Madampa Lake we wanted to look our trail by bird’s eye view. The drone flied over Madampa River to capture some pictures.

Madampawila Lake

The pier closer to Ambalangoda

Madampa Lake and Delduwa

Delduwa. Here you can see the continuation of Madampa River beyond the lake.

One end of Madampa Lake

Madampa Lake and sea. Please note this is not the connecting place to sea.

Sea mouth of Madampa River at Urawatta-Ambalangoda

Right over the sea mouth of Madampa River

Towards Ambalangoda town and Madu River

Thanks for reading