Said to be the oldest surviving wooden bridge in the world, the 400 year old Bogoda Wood-en bridge was constructed in the 16th century. The bridge that spans the Gallanda Oya, that joins the Uma Oya downstream was constructed solely using wood, with even nails being made of local timber and the most interesting element being the fact that not even a single metal nail was used in its completion.

With a breadth of six feet, height of eight feet and a span of some 50 feet, the Bridge com-prises of /Jack and Kumbuk logs with the supports consisting of one single log each! That stand tall holding up a corridor with a ornate roof. Kaluwara and Milla wood was used in executing the ornate designs on the pillars, banisters and roof borders, covered with Sinhala Ulu tiles.

The Bridge itself is sited on the premises of the  Bogoda Raja maha Viharaya (temple) con-structed under instruction of King Valagambaha (who is said to have hid here) that dates back to the 1st century BC, during the period of the Anuradhapura era. The temple was said to have been a point of worship for those traveling by froo from Badulla to Kandy. The roof also served as a point of rest (ambalama) for weary travellers.

Today amidst walls built by combining cotton wool, bees honey and purified white clay, a reclining Lord Buddha appears with a detailed makara thorana (a pandol featuring a drag-on-like mythical creature combining features of elephant, bear, lion and crocodile) watching over it and murals that depict the artistic motifs of Buddhist traditions and culture. A place of worship for the Lord Vishnu predates the site and a blue colour statue of Vishnu is still partially visible.

Beyond the Bridge is the entrance of a tunnel believed to emerge in Badulla and was used by King Valgambaha when he was in hiding from the invading Dravidian invaders from South India. According to folklore the tunnel is said to measure some 10 kilometer and exits at Naranwala, which is now a tea estate.

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The Bogoda bridge is believed to have been constructed by a father and son team of wood craftsmen who were also responsible for the ambalama at Panapitiya. History has it that the son was entrusted with the task of completing the bridge and was told not to leave un-til the father came to add the finishing touches. But having completed his task, the son had set forth to meet the father. Since the ritual finishing touches were not made before he left the site, the son was cursed and died prematurely. –

Unleashing one such strand of legend it says that during the past when kings and queens ruled over ancient Lanka, the people in this area trekked on prilgrimages to Mahiyangane and Kandy through these old trails, after crossing Gallanda Oya where there was no bridge or even a foot-bridge (edanda) to get across.

So these people who hailed from those villages like Nillandahinna, Uda Pusselawa, Go-damane, Kandaketiya made a vow to God Vishnu to have some sort of bridge constructed.

Their supplication was duly answered. By some magic spell, a huge tree that was felled in the Narangala hill range to be used as timber to construct a contraption to cross the stream, was miraculously brought to a village called Lunugalla. On the following day to eve-rybody’s amazement a miracle did happen, as the trunk of this felled tree was by some su-pernatural power brought to the site near Gallanda Oya.

– Tharuka Dissanaike