'Udarata Menike' a travel magazine programme written and directed for Rupavahini by Athula Dissanayake and Mayuri Wanaguru will be telecast from November 8 at 7.30 p.m. on Rupavahini.
The series is based on a railway journey from Colombo to Badulla exploring nature, history and culture at diverse points on the railway line. This is the programme of its kind to be telecast on Sri Lankan television channel.
The journey is considered one of the great railway journeys in the world.
Along the journey many waterfalls such as Saint Clair and Horton Plain is passed by. The programme will explore legends in the Kandian era as well as tragic incidents. Uthuwan Kande Sardiel, Sri Wicrama Rajasinghe, last king of Sinhalese dynasty and Ahalepola's son Madduma Bandara are some of the well known characters in the history to be explored in the programme. Latest technologies such as heli cam (a camera mounted in a helicopter operated by remote) has been utilised for the shooting of 'Udarata Menike'.

TV Times
A journey to Hill Country with ‘Udarata Menike’
‘Udarata Menike", a travel magazine based on a journey along the railway track from Colombo to Badulla, exploring nature, history and culture in the hill country is to be telecast every Saturday at 7.30 pm on Rupavahini starting from November 8.
Scripted and directed by award wining TV director, Athula Dissanayake and Mayuri Wanguru, this is the first ever TV travel magazine series on the railway journey from Colombo to Badulla.
Dissanayake won Best Current affairs Programme and Best magazine- programme at Sumathi Tele Award 2006 and State TV Award 2007 for his TV programme - 'Watarawuma' respectively.
‘Udarata Manike’ will explore the most valuable and attractive historical legends referred to Kandyan period and some tragic incidents in the history. Uthuwan Kande Sura Sardiel, Sri Wicrama Rajasinghe the last King of Sinhalese dynasty and Madduma Bandara, the younger son of Ahalepola are some of prominent characters in the history to be explored in this programme.The programme is to highlight interesting facts of the train tack which starts at 14 feet elevation in Colombo and runs up to Pattipola in Nuwara Eliya District where 6224 feet above the sea level passing 44 tunnels and about 80 stations which takes 9 ours journey. Selecting on the Hill country for a travel programme Athula said, "Many artists depicted hill country through their artistic work. Hill country, its impressive picturesque scenes and legends have been based for much artistic work such as film, song, novels and etc. from many decades."
‘Approximately there is 300km or 180 miles in length between Colombo and Badulla railway track. British engineers completed main line, from Colombo to Badulla within 66 years. This main line is ranked as one of great railway journey among the other railways in the world’ said Athula speaking about the programme.
Passengers of ‘Udarata Menike’ could witness several waterfalls, such as Saint Clair, while they traveling by the train.
Athula has used some innovative technological systems to capture the journey and at the middle of Journey, beyond Gampola to Idalgashinna, the beautiful landscape would be shot using helli cam (a camera mounted in helicopter and operated by remote). And three cameras would be used to capture the journey by train and surrounding beauty of the railway line. The talented director also has plans to use graphic animation (3D Max) to indicate the clear information and to create clear image of the journey.