Dunhinda Falls

Dunhinda’s name comes from a purely physical description, the Sinhala words for ‘gave’ and ‘evaporate,’ referencing the fine, smoky mist that rises where the falling water strikes its pool. The legends surrounding it are considerably less clinical.

A Fern That Flooded a Town

The most historically anchored legend associated with Dunhinda dates to the reign of King Rajasinghe II of Kandy in the 17th century. According to the story, a giant fern became lodged at the top of the falls, wedged between two mountains, forming an accidental dam that caused the Badulu Oya to back up and flood the town of Badulla below. The king assigned the job of clearing the blockage to a man named Ranhavadidaraya, who reportedly laboured for three months before finally freeing the water and allowing Badulla to re-emerge. The dislodged fern is said to have washed downstream and lodged again at a location now called Pussellawa, “pus” meaning fern, a place name locals still connect directly to this centuries-old flood story.

Buried Treasure and a Guardian Fish

A separate legend gives the pool beneath the falls a more mysterious character. According to this tale, a beautiful fish wearing a golden earring swims above buried treasure belonging to Kumarasinghe, the Prince of Uva, surfacing only once a year. The treasure is said to be guarded by men wielding golden swords who demand a human sacrifice from anyone who dares to swim there in search of it, a suitably ominous warning that has likely discouraged more than a few treasure hunters over the generations.

The Eloping Princess

Perhaps the most poignant story tied to Dunhinda concerns a 14th-century princess, Mampitiya Anuhas Menike Bandara, said to be of royal Gampola blood, who fell in love with a commoner, Kahapitiye Arachchi Bandara. Facing her father’s fury over the match, the couple fled together, but were eventually tracked down; rather than be separated, the pair are said to have drowned themselves together in the basin at the foot of the falls. Local legend adds a further, eerier layer, holding that the spirits of the princess and her lover still guard hidden treasure at the bottom of the pool today, a detail that closely echoes the separate buried-treasure legend and suggests these local stories have blended and reinforced one another over the centuries.

Visiting Tips

• Visit June to July for the sunniest, most pleasant weather around Badulla, or November to March if you prefer the falls at maximum volume during wetter conditions.
• Allow at least two hours total, including the walk in both directions and time at the falls themselves.
• Entry costs a nominal fee for locals and a somewhat higher rate for foreign visitors; the site is open 7 am to 5 pm.
• Combine with the nearby Muthiyangana Raja Maha Vihara in Badulla, one of Sri Lanka’s sixteen most sacred Buddhist sites, for a fuller day trip.

Where It Sits on the Map

Frequently Asked Questions

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