The road was ever winding as we kept descending steadily from Balangoda towards Kalthota some 30 kilometers or a little more. The scenery was refreshing with long stretches devoid of the contraptions of man.
The road etched as it were on the edge of the mountain afforded a distant view of the plains below meltinginto misty greens. It was good driving
After the descent we seemed to be traveling on flat terrain. And now we were accompanied by a gushing canal of the Walawe waters, which ran closely parallel with the road. Here and there we met with old world edandas spanning the canal to give access to the properties on the opposite bank. It seemed as if the canal and the road were inseparable and we had quite got used to the idea too, when we lost sight of it momentarily, only to find it raised into a bridge like contraption making way for a branch road to travel under it. A peculiar sight.! And the canal joined the road again making a merry waterfall down some cemented steps back to its happy partnership with the road. These waters seemed to be the source of the people living here. We passed ideal bathing spots and shallow washing spots where the locals relaxed after attending to their daily chores, the surrounding trees giving excellent shade.
Our destination was the Budugala ruins in Kalthota. After a while we stopped at an Archaeological Department sign board, and parking the vehicle on the side of the narrow road hardly enough for two vehicles to pass, we crossed the canal which by now had succumbed to a narrow deep drain..
Two large rectangular foundations of buildings could be seen connecting each other at the centre by a narrow bridge. Huge polished granite slabs comprised its construction. Quaint little stone stairways with simple balustrades led to them. A few stone columns bravely seemed to stand the test of time while a medley of others littered the area around.
We climbed further on the stone steps and suddenly came upon a clearing with yet another ruin of the same design but maybe of a slightly smaller proportion..
It is believed that the Budugala ruins are those of an ancient hermitage and the constructions found here have been dated to the 1st century BC.
When we visited the ruins it was well into noon and the day was sweltering hot. But the forest of trees shaded the site. And the sun filtered through the trees freckled and dimpling at our feet. while the air rang with sweet bird calls.
To my mind came a little poem I had read earlier
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