Elephant visiting at Minneriya in different way

Year and Month	2015 July 28th-Boat tour 2015 September 02nd– Visit at Dewalaya 2015 September 12th –Safari at Minneriya NP
Number of Days	One evening
Crew	Indunil, Siraj, Chamika, few fishermen and myself
Accommodation	Not applicable
Transport	Fishermen’s boats and Safari Jeep
Activities	Elephants watching and photography
Weather	Excellent
Route	Polonnaruwa->Katukaliyawa (කටුකැලියාව) –Minneriya (මින්නේරිය)->back to Polonnaruwa in same rout
	If you go by boat, never step into the park as it is illegal. Don’t get much closer to wild elephants as sometimes they may not like it. Minneriya Dewalaya (both old and Wawe Dewalaya) is opened only on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Minneriya NP Ideal time to visit Minneriya NP is during dry season- July, August, September and Octomber till rain begins. It costs about Rs 3000 for one safari tour at Minneriya. Separate fees for park entrance. You can get a safari jeep from the entrance. Early morning and late evening (most suitable) for elephant watching. Like Kaudulla NP, no other major animals can be seen other than elephants. Don’t pollute the garden premises with garbage. I have watched a video clip shows foreigners really disappointed about garbage disposal within garden premises. Don’t get panic or shout if elephants reach the safari jeep. Most of the times they are get used for jeeps.
Author	Niroshan
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Minneriya National Park is a popular place for Wild elephants among local and foreign tourists. Usually elephants visiting treks lies at grass fields of the edge of Minneriya Lake. Elephants come for drinking and bathing at Lake in early morning and evening. Safari jeeps roam at Lake Pitch to view these herd of elephants at that time. This is usual way it happens.
If you come on Lake Side you can view these elephants without entering the park. My friend Indunil has visited the Minneriya Lake in few times and he had some known fishermen.
At one evening I went with Indunil by a fishermen’s boat to view elephants. This is a sharing of pictures of that short visit.

Minneriya National Park and Minneriya Lake
Minneriya Park was initially considered as a wild sanctuary and declared as a national park in 12-08-1997. It covers 88.89km2 areas and home for hundreds of roaming elephants, water birds, monkeys and bears.

Minneriya Tank
This is considered as a great creation of King Mahasen (276-303 BC). It gets water from Mahawali River by Elahara canal (48kms away). Total area of Lake is 237.5km2. The king has obtained the service of Yaksha tribe (demons) to build the tank. British rulers also participated in renovation of the tank.

We have reached fishermen’s port in the late afternoon and some of them have finished their daily work. As we were three in number we had to get two boats. (They usually carry maximum four people in one boat). Our target site of elephant watching was Koggala Bokka-(කොග්ගල බොක්ක) what fishermen called it. Few safari jeeps were roaming at the place but they left as there were no elephants. We spent a time at Koggala Bokka and moved to some other area by the boat. But elephants have roamed there yesterday evening. It was illegal for fishermen to get into the park. We were able to view some herd of elephants at next area. Fishermen sailed their boats much closer to elephants. I was able to feel the flow of a feeding lake of Minneriya Lake as well. After viewing wild elephants and water birds at Minneriya NP we came back to fishermen’s port.

These fishes are scattered over Lake Bank. Fishermen throw them away as it is useless.

Minneriya Lake

Getting prepared

In order

Fishing at Minneriya Lake

Brahminy Kite

White Bellied Sea Eagle

My friend in the boat

Surrounding mountains of Minneriya Lake

Awaiting at lake edge

Waiting for elephants at Koggala Bokka

A safari jeep at Minneriya Lake pitch….this area is called Koggala Bokka

Nagalakanda where King Mahasen viewed constructions of Minneriya Lake.

At Koggala Bokka

Good place for bird watching

Minneriya NP

Great Egret

Grey Heron

Good place for bird watching

A jumbo at lake pitch…..

Flocks of Black Headed Ibis

Alone….

Flocks of Black Headed Ibis

A feeding canal of Minneriya Lake

Other team…..

In his action……

Brahmin Kite

Fishing boats at Lake pitch

View of our vehicle at river bank

Woolly-necked Stork

After death of King Mahasen he was considered as a local god by villagers of Minneriya. At the moment two Dewalaya can be seen for “Minneriya Dewiyo” -(මින්නේරි දෙවියෝ) -God Minneriya. One is old Minneriya Dewalaya and other one is famous Wawe Dewalaya (වැවේ දේවාලය). Wawe Dewalaya is situated over Lake Bunt where you can have nice view of Minneriya Lake and sun set between two mountains.
I have visited Wawe Dewalaya on a Wednesday for a Pujawa (පූජාව). Usually Dewalaya is opened on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Minneriya Wawe Dewalaya (මින්නේරිය වැවේ දේවාලය)

Minneriya Wawe Dewalaya

For Minneriya Dewiyo

Getting blessings…..

Jayanthi Sorowwa (ජයන්ති සොරොව්ව) at Minneriya Lake- It was named to commemorate 2500th Buddha Years.

Bird parade

Sun set over Minneriya Lake

Elephant visiting at Minneriya NP in usual way
Though I have been at Polonnaruwa for three and half years I have never been at Minneriya NP for Elephant watching. One evening I had a chance to do routine safari at Minneriya NP. This is adding of pictures of it.