Mapalana () is a village in Matara District, Sri Lanka, from Colombo. It is approximately from Kamburupitiya where the University of Ruhuna's Faculty of Agriculture is located.
The village is located at the junction of the Thihagoda-Kotapola (B415) highway and Mapalana-Boraluketiya Road.
Etymology The name of the village was originally "Maha Pala Ana", which historically means "the great garden with fruits".
Notable attractions It is also the site of the Mapalana falls (Mapalana Ella), a three-tier waterfall, the fourth tallest waterfall in Sri Lanka.Kautzsch, E. (2003). A Guide to the Waterfalls of Sri Lanka (2nd ed.). Tisara Prakasakayo. According to local folklore the waterfall derives its name from a local nobleman (maapaa) who used to bathe at waterfall, hence maapaa-nana (place where the nobleman bathed) which became mapanana and later mapalana.
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