Nonpareil and Nagrak villages in the Nonpareil tea estate are a wonderful cold hilly area close to Balangoda in the Ratnapura district. The Nonpareil village is at a height of over 5,000 feet above the sea level and the Nagrak village is about 7,000 feet above the sea level.
The villages hidden in the mist have a very cold climate. The natural beauty of the area, where there are no adequate transport facilities and people have to travel kilometres to reach their day-to-day destinations, is high, but underneath that beauty lies a sad story.
At a distance of 18 kilometres from Balangoda on the Badulla road, after passing Belihuloya, one will find a small town named Galagama. About 500 metres from there, there is a narrow road leading to Nonpareil estate on the left side. About 6 kilometres on this road, the village of Nonpareil is among the mountains.
The Nonpareil Tea Factory is also very close to this village. The estate villages are located nearby, and belong to the Galpottanna Grama Niladhari Division. Four villages
There are four villages in four parts of the estate. Three villages are in dungeons-like areas surrounded by mountains. The village of Nagrak, at the highest level, is on the lower slope of the Horton Plains. The village can be seen from the much-visited tourist destination, World’s End.
The nearest town to all these villages is Belihuloya. About 12 kilometres up the Nonpareil road, one can find Baker’s Bend, and then the Horton Plains. Nagrak is surrounded by wonderful hills of various shapes. Horton plains, Thotupola, Kirigalpoththa and Gonmolli Mountains are among them.
It is from the mountains in the upper part of Nonpareil and from the water sources that flow from the Thotupola Mountains in the Horton Plains area that the villagers source water. Although the villages lack many facilities, they are rich in water.
The water stream that later became Belihuloya and feeds the Walawe River also starts from the Thotupola Mountains. After going up from the section where the Nonpareil tea factory is, the road splits into Uggalduwa, upper part and Nanperial sections. One has to pass around 32 bends to reach Nagrak on this road. Only vehicles such as jeeps, lorries and motorcycles can travel on the difficult road.
Buses cannot travel on the dilapidated road up to a height of nearly 7,000 feet where Nagrak is located.
The daily bus from Balangoda only goes to the lower part of Nonpareil Estate. The bus departs from Balangoda early in the morning and arrives at Nonpareil passing through Tumbagoda, Rathmalwinna, Imbulpe, Seelogama, Belihuloya, Pambahinna and Hirikatu Oya.
Transport
The bus makes several more trips for the day. Some time ago, the bus used to go to Nonpareil tea factory, but now it only goes to the starting point of the village due to the dilapidation of the road. At the entrance to the village of Nagrak, which is often covered with mist, a board in the bend states that the height there is 6,990 feet from the sea level.
There is a precipice behind the place. The Balangoda area can also be seen from there. A further hike leads to the Nagrak Old Estate Bungalow which is a resort at present. The village lies close to the Horton Plain at an altitude of 7,200 feet.
Most residents in the area are those who have come from South India a long time ago. They have been living in the area for generations, and their only occupation is picking tea leaves. The adults now have the hope of teaching their children well and helping them find proper employment.
Nonpareil Vivekananda Vidyalaya is at the foot of the hill before reaching the Nagrak section. To reach it, a slope of 12 kilometre from the village has to be climbed. They also do upland vegetable farming occasionally. Most children of the estate go to that school, and some of them are residing in the school itself due to lack of transport facilities.
