Kurunegala is often called the epicentre of Sri Lanka’s route to various destinations, connecting Kandy to Puttalam and Colombo to Anuradhapura. This crossroad city is a haven of sights and sounds, one being Athugala, the 325km high black rock that presents panoramic views of the surroundings such as the Kurunegala Lake and other rocky landmarks, that nature has shaped to mimic the fauna of the island. Sri Lankan folklore tells us that when a drought befell on the land, the animals who threatened the water supply to the city were magically turned to stone, and have since then been the many rocky formations sighted in and around the Kurunegala area.