“Maningala” in Sinhalese means the mountain of measurement (of time). Traditionally people in the area had use the shadow of this isolated, elephant shaped rock to keep track of the time of the day. Climbing Maningala is a rewarding exercise. It lets you enjoy the true beauty of the Knuckles range. The beautiful “Thelgamu-Oya” river, paddy fields with the mountains in the backdrop at the traditional villages, the panoramic view of the Knuckles range from the top of Maningala, the unique flat area on the top of the mountain which resembles the spine of the elephant and the interesting diversity of vegetation are few highlights worth mentioning. Not to forget the colorful butterflies, wildflowers and birds that inhabits the mountain that will come as pleasant surprises quite frequently.
