Haggala Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden is first as a cinchona plantation and then adapted to an experimental garden for the acclimatization of plants from temperate zones in the tropics. Here can be found all the flowers of an English cottage garden in spring and summer, and much else besides – such as the oldest tea-bush in the island, an ornamental pond and quaint summerhouse. Hakgala (Jaw Rock) rises a sheet 1500 ft/460 meters and offers one of the most stunning views ever. Legend says it was part of the Himalayas carried here by the Monkey God – Hanuman in his quest to help God-Rama rescue Goddess – Sita from the demon king – Ravana. Sita-Eliya, site of Sita’s imprisonment, stands a mere mile away, with the ‘Sita Amman Kovil’ close by.