Once, friends of mine set off early one morning to see the Duvili Ella waterfall. Most were hazy as to where exactly it was located, only that it was close to Kaltota near the Walawe Ganga. It has been described as one of the most unusual waterfalls in Sri Lanka. The fat, the short, the old, the sprightly and not so agile, all joined the expedition and alighted from the bus with great gusto at Kaltota, 28 km. off Balangoda. The organizer of the trip had made prior arrangements and a soldier with a gun escorted the ladies as it was a politically tumultous time and some were fearful of the forest terrain. Everyone proceeded along a narrow path on the very edge of a precipitous incline.
Finally when the expedition came close to the summit, a huge boulder had to be scaled. And believe it or not, middle-aged sareed ladies were among those who got to the top. No one dared to look down or sideways as the sheer precipice made them dizzy.
Breathless and frightened, they continued their journey till all of a sudden they came to a place opposite the waterfall which fell from a broad rock 40 metres down in a haze of water. It was the most fantastic sight because unlike other waterfalls what you see is a misty cascade of droplets in a sheer veil of shimmering light. That is why it is called Duvili Ella - dust-like waterfall.