Exploring Ratnapura – The Gem city of Sri Lanka

Ratnapura is a major town in Sri Lanka, deriving its name from Sanskrit for the ‘City of Gems’ and true to its name, it is the hub of the country’s gem trade.  As well as being the island’s source of gems, Ratnapura also has large plantations of tea and rubber surrounding it and produces jaggery (palm sap fudge), rice and fruit. Ratnapura is green and lush and while being renowned for its gems, you will find that it has a lot more to offer.

Getting to Ratnapura

If you are travelling from Colombo the A8 Highway links Panadura to Ratnapura and is the easiest way to reach it. A drive from Colombo to Ratnapura will take roughly three hours.  The journey can be a bit exhausting and you might find yourself prone to motion sickness as the route to Ratnapura has plenty of winding roads.

1.Maha Saman Devalaya

Saman Devalaya Ratnapura

On route to Ratnapura, just 3.5 km away before the city, make a stop at the Saman Devalaya which is a temple that is busy at any time of the day, even early hours of the morning, as it has many worshippers stopping on their travels to pray for a safe journey.  The temple is dedicated to the deity Saman, the presiding deity of the Adam’s Peak Mountain.

As a form of respect make sure you wear clothing that covers your knees and shoulders. Low cut or sleeveless clothing, shorts, mini skirts, Hijab, Niqab, burka, hats and shoes are not allowed. If you need a quick change there are vendors around the temple who sell sarongs and shawls cheaply.

Read: Visiting Places of Worship

2.Bopath Ella (Waterfall)

 Bopath Ella (Waterfall) up in Kuruwita, Ratnapura, is a magnificent waterfall cascading down a height of 30 metres that cannot be missed when you are travelling in that area. It’s ideally supposed to be shaped like a ‘Bo’ tree (sacred fig tree) hence the name because the water flows through a narrow gap and widens in the shape of the tree.

What attracts many people to this site are the local myths surrounding the Bopath Ella. Many say that it’s haunted because a local village girl jumped into the fall and killed herself when her lover abandoned her and the girl’s ghost is said to haunt the waterfall appearing in a blue light. Others argue that the waterfall hides a treasure trove within and in order to collect it, a thousand human sacrifices must be made.

Getting there- ( Get directions) To get to the waterfall you will have to turn to the Devipahala Road and travel roughly 3km to the falls. Once you reach there you pay a small toll (Rs20) at the gate and walk down to a pavilion to see the falls. If you are not satisfied with the view of the waterfall from the pavilion, you can pay to take a bamboo boat ride to get a better view of the fall. The bamboo boat will drop you off at the bottom of a small mountain that will lead you to the waterfall and will pick you up on your return.

From this point onwards, exercise caution – you may see locals trying to climb up to the top of the waterfall but police authorities have heavily cautioned against such action as many people have encountered unfortunate accidents while doing so.

Once you are dropped off at the mountain there is a small trek of around 15 minutes through a jungle to get to the waterfall and when you reach your destination just sit down on the big rocks and enjoy the scenery.

3.The Gem Streets at Ratnapura

( Get directions) Sri Lanka remains one of the largest exporters of gems in the world and Ratnapura has always been the undisputed source of gems in Sri Lanka and you cannot visit the City of Gems without walking the Streets of Gems.

If you want to see the gem trade in action, ask a local or your tuk-tuk driver to take you to ‘amba gaha yata’ which means ‘under the mango tree’. Ironically there is not a mango tree insight at the location but you will find a large town square brimming with busy gem traders near the clock tower with a Bo tree for shade

This main square is a gathering hub for expert gemologists and precious stone merchants and is the biggest open-air gem market in Sri Lanka. Here you will meet dozens of merchants with little paper envelopes and penlights inviting you for a chat and showing off their cut gems. From rubies to garnets and topaz to sapphires, there is a brilliant array of gems to find in the market.

You can also visit a few lapidaries in the town and watch the technique of cutting and polishing gems from scratch.  Sri Lankan lapidaries use traditional techniques, modern precision cutting and highly skilled re-cutting to precise calibrated measurements.

Read: Gem Trading at China Fort, Beruwala

4.Ratnapura National Museum

 ( Get directions) The National Museum of Ratnapura exhibits prehistoric archaeological inventions, artefacts and models relating to the area as well as weaponry and guns.  The grounds of the museum contain a palaeo-biodiversity park with life-sized sculptures of animals that were believed to have existed in that region.

5.Gemmological Museum

 ( Get directions) A near 3 km way from the centre of Ratnapura there is a Gemmological Museum run by a local gemologist which contains an exotic range of various natural stones and explores the history and development of the gem industry in Sri Lanka.  There is no entry charge and the museum includes a store with gemstones and jewellery for sale, a cafeteria for refreshments and clean washrooms.

6.Shopping

Ratnapura is bursting with gem shops with rare gems and exotic jewellery. You will find gem shops door to door, street to street. Sapphires are one of Sri Lanka’s biggest gem exports and the country has produced three of the world’s largest blue sapphires including the ‘Blue Belle of Asia’ adorning the British Crown and the ‘Star of India’ now at New York Museum of Natural History.

Ceylon sapphires of all colours can be found in abundance in Ratnapura and if you want a pricey token from your time here in Sri Lanka – go shop in any of the gem shops for a sparkling ring or a stunning necklace.

7.A Gateway to other Attractions

Ratnapura, with its central location, serves as a gateway for other tourist attractions. Ratnapura has its own access for the climb up Adam’s Peak.  It’s also close to Kitulgala where white water rafting is a popular sport.  You can also find easy access to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve and the Udawalawe National Park.

Read: The Season to climb Adam’s Peak