Hakgala - in Central Highlands (Up country) of Sri Lanka. Hakgala Gardens lie beneath the towering Hakgala Rock some 10km south of Nuwara Eliya (Little England) with majestic views across hills receding in tiers into the distance. Among the gardens in the island, The rock of Hakgala (Jaw Rock) rises 450 meters (1500 feet) above the gardens & believed to be one of the two places (the other being the cave at Ella) where King Rawana held Sita, consort of Lord Rama of great Indian epic Ramayana. The soil of the area around Sita Eliya temple close to the Gardens is darker than elsewhere in the island. According to the legend, it was in this area Lord Hanuman, in his rage, wreaked havoc on the villages & the forests: his tail was set on fire by King Rawana. The darkened soil is said to be no accident or design of nature. The Gardens (27ha) were established in 1860 as an experimental Cinchona plantation from which the anti-malarial drug quinine is derived. Subsequently the gardens were used for experiments in acclimatizing temperate-zone plants to life in tropics. Today Hakgala's gardens of roses, shrubs, ferns & montane woodland are delightfully located in salubrious environment, with small streams running across & wooden bridges built over them with birds flying all over. The charm of the Gardens, cold & shady atmosphere & enchanting sceneries soothes your mind relieving you of your anxieties. The gardens sprawl up the steep hillside, ranging from the anodyne ornamental areas around the entrance to the far wider & more interesting forests up the hills. The best views are from the steps & path on to the right immediately after the entrance gate that lead through the azalea garden up to a little pavilion.