Saradiyel rock

Located in a walking distance from Uthuwankanda in Colombo Kandy road, Saradiyel rock was the famous Sri Lankan Robin Hood Saradiyel’s hideout. Climbing up to the mountain is not a difficult task and if you are travelling in a private vehicle, you can take all the way up to the middle of the mountain where you have enough space to park the vehicle and hike up. The only challenge is the beat up the heat. Therefore, it is advisable to take ample amount of water with you.

On top of the main rock, there is another boulder which looks like a fist. Climbing up there is an arduous task and there you’ll need rock climbing techniques. However, there is not enough room to keep more than 3-4 people on the top.

Top of the rock

Scene from the top of the mountain

View of the Colombo - Kandy road from the top

When climbing down, you can find a cave and a secret passage which leads all the way down to Ma-Oya which is flowing under a bridge in Mawanella. The cave is full of bats and their droppings and the air is putrid with the smell of the bat droppings. If you can beat the stench and if you do not have the claustrophobia you can see a flat rock which Saradiyel used as his bed. The secret passage could be visible but it is advisable not to go in as there is a risk of being lost as nobody has ever used the passage after Saradiyel’s era.

Cave entrance

Down the rock, there is a newly built Saradiyel Village which is maintained under the supervision of a well-known doctor in Mawanella area.