Ussangoda is a place of natural beauty and a designated archeological site. When you reach to Ussangoda you can see her wings on fire. Ussangoda is an amazing place with many values and beautiful nature. It is also a very different, quiet and almost deserted nature reserve with beautiful views of the surrounding area and the ocean with beautiful beaches. You can call this place as a place to see and feel.
Location and access
This hidden sleeping beauty is situated on the Colombo-Kataragama road near Ambalantota-Nonagama junction in Hambantota district of Sri Lanka. It is also a nature reserve and is located in the Southern turtle breeding zone. Ussangoda is situated in Ambalanthota which is 220.4km far from Colombo via Southern Express way (E01). [4h 17min]. Far from Ambalanthota to Ussangoda is 8.5km via Colombo-Galle-Hambanthota-Wellawaya Hwy/A2[17min] .
| Location-Ussangoda |
Ussangoda is a mysterious place which is located in Hambantota district, well known dry zone in Southern Sri Lanka. There are so many rumors woven around this extraordinary place. The nature of the soil (brownish red) and rare medicinal plants of this place are the fundamental facts for this mythical background. Aside from the unsubstantiated theories are the legends and lore that shroud Ussangoda deeper in mystery.
It is believed by some that anciently a meteoroid had fallen here, which explains the barren nature of the soil and the peculiar vegetation growth patterns. According to a man living in the vicinity this peculiar land attracts many small wild animals and a variety of birds and is also a refuge for rare medicinal plants.
One of the most popular stories derived from mythology, is that the ancient King Ravana used this plateau as a landing site for his peacock chariot, "Dandumonara". This legend finds further grounds with the incident of Hanuman, the monkey god who arrived to the island. To seek revenge from Ravana for capturing the princess Sita from India. Hanuman set fire to Ravana's "airport" or what is believed to be Ussangoda today.
These legends resonate like an undying echo amongst locals. These fanciful legends only add more lure to Ussangoda. Apart from its natural beauty and mythological charm Ussangoda is also certified as an archaeological site.
Soil characteristics
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| Table(1) |
The serpentine and non-serpentine soils showed significant differences in their physical and chemical properties. Within the serpentine site there are two contrasting vegetation types, the prostrate stunted species and the patches of shrubs and trees. The available moisture was low in the serpentine soil while the shrub patches had significantly higher moisture approaching that of the non-serpentine soil. This was not associated with the organic matter content of the soils (Table 1). The CEC of the serpentine soils was also significantly lower. The pH of the serpentine soil tended towards acidity and the non-serpentine soil was significantly neutral (Table 1). The conductivity of the non-serpentine soil was significantly higher than that of the serpentine soil and the soil of the shrub patches.
The chemical properties of the serpentine soil showed highly significant differences from the no serpentine soil. The Ca content of the non-serpentine soil was 3 to 15 times higher than that in the shrub patches and the serpentine soil respectively. Although Mg content of the different soils were comparably similar, the difference in Ca was reflected in the Ca:Mg ratio (Table 1). The serpentine soil has a characteristic value of 0.60. The shrub patches with a higher Ca content of 3 to 4 times that of the serpentine soil have a Ca:Mg ratio higher than that of the serpentine soils. Similarly, the Ni content was much higher than in the non-serpentine soils. Fe does not show a significant difference between the soil types and Mn was high in the serpentine soil (Table 1).
Flora
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| Table(2) |
There are 26 identified plant families on the serpentine soil. Of these, nine families with 12 species occur on the serpentine plain (Table 2). These species are prostrate, dwarfed or stunted, with small leaves, thick sclerenchymatous stems and extensive root systems. The prostrate species E. alsinoides, had three color morphs: white, pale purple and dark blue. They occurred either in close proximity or spread apart on the plains. The dominant family on the serpentine plains was Fabaceae with three species. The other families occur in patches of shrubs and trees.
Plants
There are 29 species of flowering plants including trees, vines and prostate plants. The high content of heavy metals in serpentine soil in that are alter their physical and chemical properties making them unsuitable for plant growth. The large plain is covered by stunned prostrate species with an extensive root system. Patches of shrubs and trees occur on the plains as small islands. Due to the serpentine soil the number of plant families and species is lower in this area. When consider about plant families, there are only few families which can exist in serpentine plain in Ussangoda.
Birds
Ussangoda facilitates a few kinds of wild animals and birds. When considering birds in Ussangoda, it provides habitats for many resident birds considerable number of migratory species and for some endemic species. Dry zone birds are common here including uncommon birds such as the nightjar.
Ussangoda is a unique place to take an evening visit with the sound of the wind and the chippering of birds. There are many beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. If you want a perfect sunset, come here late afternoon for great sunset pictures.
Amazing place 😍. Really good location to enjoy nature and such a calm and relaxing environment. Enjoyed a lot there!
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