Hakgala Botanical Garden

Hakkala Botanical Garden is one of the five largest botanical gardens in Sri Lanka. The other four are Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, Henarathgoda Botanical Gardens, Mirijjawila Botanical Gardens and Seetawaka Botanical Gardens. It is the second largest garden in Sri Lanka. [1] The garden is adjacent to Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve. [2]

Hakgala Botanical Garden is located along the main road of Nuwara Eliya-Badulla, 16 km from Nuwara Eliya. Because the altitude is 5,400 feet, the garden has a mild climate. The annual average temperature is between 16 ° C and 30 ° C in one year. [3] From December to February, the climate is cold and the climate is warm from April to August.

Founded in 1861, George Henry Kendrick Thwaites, an experimental planter of Cinchona, a commercial crop that was thriving at the time. When tea replaces Cincona, it will be an experimental tea field. It became a garden in 1884. Since then, many subtropical plants and several temperate plants have been planted in the garden.

In private folklore, Sri Lankan devil king Ravana hides her after kidnapping the West Tower and offers this area called Ramayana's Ashokavatica as an amusement park to the West Tower. . This area is named "Sita Eliya" and "Sita Amman Temple" was built in the premises.

More than 10,000 plants were planted here, and thousands of visitors came to see the flowers here during the spring season of Nuwara Eliya. The annual number of visitors is about 500,000 people. [3] The garden is famous for its orchid growing roses.

The Hakkala Botanical Garden is at a height of 1745 meters above sea level and is about 28 hectares in area and is behind the Hakkala Rock ("Ziyan Rock"). This huge rock is about 2,200 meters behind the garden and the surrounding forest reserve is like a lonely giant. The garden is shaped like several terraces on the low slope of the rock and faces the Uva valley. You can see spectacular views of the mountains of Madulsima and Namunukula in the distant landscape. The climate of the garden is subtropical, cool and fresh, similar to the atmosphere of a little mountain.

Hakkala Botanical Garden is one of three botanical gardens in Sri Lanka. The other two are Peradeniya Botanic Gardens and Henarathgoda Botanical Gardens. It is the second largest garden in Sri Lanka. The garden is adjacent to Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve in Nuwara Eliya. This garden is regarded as the highest botanical garden in the world. Hakkala Gardens is open daily from 00 am to 30 pm. The botanical garden is closed at 00 PM. Wheelchairs can be borrowed by nominal rent. Visitors are encouraged to explore the Hakkala Gardens if you want to explore many beautiful places in this very compact garden while allowing minicars to enter the garden.