FEATURE: Ussangoda: Beauty, mystery, myth and science make for unique experience at Sri Lanka’s newest national park
Posted: June 10, 2010
Is it the place where a meteorite landed? What makes the soil so red? Was this where King Ravana of India’s epic Ramayana landed in his flying chariot after abducting Princess Seetha? These are just a few of the questions that cross your mind as you step across the starkly red, caked earth at Ussangoda on Sri Lanka’s southern coastline at Hambantota.
Ussangoda is striking in its contrast with the rest of its surroundings. A plateau of hard red earth spreading across an area of approximaely one square kilometer, with no trees and few shrubs. Situated near the village of Nonagama, it is an area protected by the Department of Archaeology.
Ussangoda is a site where dwelling sites of pre-historic humans have been found in Sri Lanka. It is also located geographically close to Miniha Gal Kanda in Yala where evidence of pre-historic human existence has been found. It offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape and the sea.
The wide plateau bereft of any trees transports you to an era when the demon king Ravana of Lankapura (Sri Lanka) abducted the beautiful Seetha and landed at Ussangoda in his peacock shaped aircraft. In a gripping story of love and war, of good and evil; Prince Rama of Ayodhya in India, battles the demon king to rescue the love of his life.
Did it really happen that way? Many would say yes, and offer the red earth as evidence of how the monkey god Hanuman torched the earth when he came to help Rama search for Seetha. They would also offer as evidence the existence of exotic Himalayan herbs dropped by Hanuman when he brought back an entire hillside from the Himalayas because he couldn’t identify the herbs required to cure the injured army.
Despite their inability to confirm or deny Hanuman’s journey, scientists do confirm the existence of exotic Himalayan medicinal herbs in the area. Scientists have proved that the red soil is due to a heavy concentration of ferric oxide. There are some who suggest that the soil is even attracted by magnets. It is a proven fact that the soil at Ussangoda is rich in minerals. It has been proved to have a sufficient concentration of nickel to be mined profitably.
The stretch of beach from Ussangoda to Godawaya nearby is a known nesting ground for the leatherback turtle. The Lunama and Kalametiya areas nearby offer more attractions for the visitor.
Whether poet Valmiki’s epic Ramayana is fact or fiction will continue to be debated. Ussangoda though is one of the sites in Sri Lanka Tourism’s Ramayana Trail. One which Sri Lanka hopes would be traversed by most Indians in the years to come.
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6 Responses to “FEATURE: Ussangoda: Beauty, mystery, myth and science make for unique experience at Sri Lanka’s newest national park”
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There are at least six major serpentine outcrops in Sri Lanka; One is at Ussangoda. These lie along the boundary of the Highland Complex and the Vijayan complex. This boundary is now considered to represent the geo structure of an ancient plate margin as a potential mineralized belt. Ussangoda serpentine outcrop is present as a plateau raised from the rest of the area indicating less susceptibility for weathering. The topmost portion is rich in nodules containing excessive amounts of iron and more chromium compared to the laterite which gives dark red colour to the soil. As the rocks abundantly found are metamorphosed ultramafic materials and products of their weathering, a magma intrusion seems to be the more plausible cause for formation of the Ussangoda complex. Iron(Fe), magnesium(Mg),and silicon(Si) as well as toxic metals such as nickel(Ni),manganese (Mn), cobalt(Co),and chromium(Cr), often occur in large amounts in serpentinites (greenish rock).
Is this herbal mountain known as Dolukanda?.
This area is associated with volcanic rock intrusion. That is serpentinite.This vlcanic rock came from upper mental of the earth as an intrusion.That is why you get high concentarion of nickel. The rocks are parent rocks for diamond. But the intrusion may be originated not enough depth of earth to form diamond.Good outcropes can be seen neat the Ussangoda beach.
The area is very small so mining for nickal may not viable.Simmilar two intrusions can be found in Udawalawa.
very interesting letter,thank you !
Very very interresting history wanto know more about this ussangoda please let me to know! Thanks lot and best regards Chandu
Does any one know whether the human remains unearthed in this area is exhibited anywhere?