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By Lalith
Seneviratne and Harin Corea Juli Nona, the
beloved wife of Piyadasa, the then Gam Muladani, was the leading
lady of Kumana. Piyadasa, with his smiling face and knotted hair
was a village headman of the traditional type. Juli Nona was the
oldest surviving person from the village, at the time of her passing
away recently. To a group of us, Juli Nona was the link to reliving
Kumana. With her passing
away, we decided to pay our last respects by making it possible
for her ashes to be interred in the village she passionately loved
and strove for, thereby giving Juli Nona the opportunity to return
and finally rest there, united with her husband and her village. In September,
just before the advent of the north-east monsoon bringing rains
to that part of the country, we converged on Panama, the southernmost
inhabited place in eastern Sri Lanka. Panama is a strange ethnic
melting pot - one that has successfully withstood all tests of the
ethnic conflict without ever making it to the headlines. Those gathered
included the immediate members of Juli Nona's family, mainly her
children, their spouses and grandchildren. We met at the
house of the pleasant and hospitable Nilame mudalali, who had associated
closely with Piyadasa and Juli Nona. Nilame mudalali, through his
store, oversees most of the trade in Panama, as he has done for
decades. He was the supplier to the sole shop in Kumana owned by
Piyadasa. He generously offered the services of his tractor for
the transport of goods for the construction of the tombstone and
his son volunteered to drive it. We collected
the required material from his store, hired a mason and set off
to Kumana through Okanda, a distance of nearly 25 miles through
the Kudimbigala Sanctuary and the Yala East National Park. Passing through Kunukala Kalapuwa, we reached Veherakema, a small tree shrine with remnants of an ancient Buddhist temple. From there through the Helawa Kalapuwa to Kudimbigala, one of our oldest cave monasteries, and then to Okanda, the famed entrance to Yala East National Park. Here the remains of once what was a much sought after wildlife bungalow by the beach and the park office complex, are proof of the past glory of this unique National Park. At Okanda, there is an ancient Hindu shrine complex dedicated to God Kataragama, venerated for generations. From Okanda
the track becomes harder while the landscape becomes breathtaking.
We pass through an interesting and most fascinating region of scenic
beauty, lagoons, many natural and restored water holes, tanks, natural
rock pools, rock outcrops, ridges, open parkland, scrub jungle and
forests. An area that teemed with deer, buffalo, crocodile, leopard,
bear and elephant during the days of glory of the national park.
We travel through Tirimawa Plains, Girikula Kalapuwa, Yodalipa (Giant's
Hearth), Bagura Plains, Kuda Vila, Tunmulla with another ruined
wildlife bungalow, Kotalindawala, Andarakala Kalapuwa, Itikala Kalapuwa,
Yakala Kalapuwa and finally the Kumana Villu, to end up in the Kumana
village. We are reminded of the court jester Andare's last wish
- to be given a meal of fish from Helawa Kalapuwa cooked with salt
from Andara Kalapuwa, a testimony to the quality of nature's bounty
of the area. The origins
of contemporary Kumana go back to the days of the Uva Rebellion
of 1818. The British in their vengeance against the courageous Uva
inhabitants, razed Uva to the ground by destroying all life and
property they could lay their hands on there. Of the few
who managed to escape the wrath of the British, one aristocratic
family with their retinue fled along the Kumbukkan Oya to the furthest
point along it and settled down near the villu by the estuary of
the river. They repaired and restored the ancient Kumana tank and
began to cultivate the paddy fields, after a lapse of well over
a thousand years, since the jungle engulfed the civilisation of
the Ruhuna Kingdom that held sway over the area. This pioneering
spirit helped the Kumana villagers to maintain a fine tradition
of resilience in the face of both success and setbacks. The Ruhuna
Kingdom was at its height just over 2000 years ago, and south and
south-east Sri Lanka was teeming with activity. Tanks, canals, paddy
fields and temples were built by great thinkers and engineers with
the help of elephants. Interestingly
today, the wild elephants enjoy the fruits of their labour by finding
water in the abandoned tanks and grazing in the changed landscapes.
The seasonal sand spit that forms at the mouth of the Kumbukkan
Oya, lets the trickling river waters be diverted to the Kumana Villu,
creating the mangrove that is a paradise roosting ground for a myriad
of water birds including the winter migrants. The annual breaking
of the sand spit lets the fish migrate to the estuary and the villu
to spawn, giving a bountiful harvest, including the relished indigenous
Loola. Similar interaction happens in the many lagoons. We reached
Kumana by dusk and headed straight to the bed of the Kumbukkan Oya.
Kumbukkan Oya begins its 116-mile journey on the eastern flank of
the Madulsima Range. The oya by this time has been reduced to a
meandering narrow stream with water made crystal clear by the continuous
filtering effect of the fine sponge-like Kumbuk roots and the pure
sand. With the narrow stream only occupying part of the vast and wide golden sanded riverbed, it was an ideal spot to pitch the tents, with the line of giant Kumbuk trees which give shade, hugging both banks and stretching endlessly on. We spent the evening by the campfire, listening to the tales of Kumana from the children of Juli Nona, now all married and living in Kanichigala, the adopted village for most of the inhabitants of Kumana. For dinner we had plenty of freshly-caught Loola. Piyadasa and Juli Nona were fortunate in having received basic education from an upasaka-mahattaya in the Kudimbigala Hermitage. They were thus determined to provide proper schooling for their children and others in the village. As the nearest school in Panama was too far away, they successfully lobbied with the then Government Agent in Batticaloa, Mr. Kumaraswamy, and the village school was established in 1947, just as their eldest daughter Podi Nona was nearing schooling age - a testament to their determination. The land and the wattle-and-daub building for the school were provided by the family. Podi Nona enrolled as the first pupil in the school under its first school master Mr. Jayasekera from Padiyatalawa. Podi Nona continued her education in Kumana until high school, at which point she transferred to a central college in the city. Upon passing out, she became a teacher and returned to Kumana to take up her first appointment. A success story which led to her being addressed as "Teacher", the name she took from there onwards. At the turn of the last century, Yala became a Game Sanctuary with Kumana perched at the far end of it, within an area known as Yala East that was made an Intermediate Zone, where controlled shooting was allowed. All the great hunters of the day, who happened to be the senior colonial administrators and the aristocratic native gentry, regularly visited Kumana in pursuit of their hobby. Later on, Yala
became a National Park with Kumana continuing to be a sportsman's
paradise. Along with Yala, Yala East came under the administration
of the Wildlife Department in the middle of the century and wildlife
authorities established a range office in Kumana. In December
1969, Yala East finally got the protection it deserves, with it
being declared a National Park under the doyen of wildlife administrators,
Lyn de Alwis. All those rangers stationed in Kumana developed a
deep bond with the village and many ended up forming lifelong relationships
with the villagers (including marriage). Juli Nona's
two daughters "Teacher" and Siriyawathie married wildlife
rangers thus, while her first son Ariyasena became a ranger. The
second son Dayasena followed his father's footsteps and succeeded
him as the Grama Sevaka. A majority of the boys from the village
too ended up being rangers and served across the nation, and this
became a bonanza for the otherwise isolated village. By and large,
the villagers of Kumana took only what they required from the forest.
The villu and the estuary provided them the fish, the tank the water
for the paddy, the river a perennial supply of drinking water, the
forest honey, timber, fruits and game, the lagoons the salt and
so on. While some
of their activities may have been in breach of the terms of the
strict Fauna and Flora Ordinance applicable to a National Park,
they were careful to avoid the eyes of the rangers stationed there.
The rangers on their part carried out their duties without favour
and there were some occasions when the villagers were caught and
prosecuted. Piyadasa too, inspite of being an important personality in the village, was once charged with the killing of an elephant that had surprised him in his chena. Such were his relationships with the leading personalities in Colombo, that none other than QCs Sam Kadirgamar and Daya Perera appeared on his behalf in the Kalmunai court. One can imagine the surprise the judge in sleepy Kalmunai would have got to see two of the nation's eminent lawyers appearing at his doorstep. The case was effortlessly quashed by proving that the actual death of the elephant was due to it colliding with a tree in the chena, in the confusion created by the accidental firing of Piyadasa's gun! In the 1960s
and '70s, Kumana and adjacent Walaskema, the rock outcrop across
the Kumbukkan Oya, was the destination of many wildlife enthusiasts
and photographers, with the sighting of the crossed tusker "Dala
Pootuwa" that had the largest tusks of the time. This beloved
animal too, like all tuskers finally succumbed to the evil eye of
the poacher, but the culprit was never apprehended. The tales of
Kumana made the time fly by on that chilly September night with
crisp clear skies. The campfire was replenished with logs and soon
it was the wee hours of the morning when we decided to close our
eyes. But, just before we could fold the camp chairs, we were afforded
the spectacle of a leopard dashing into the riverbed trailing a
mouse deer. Next morning came the further thrill of a bear rolling
down the slope of the bank for a drink, right next to where we were
merrily having the morning dip in the water. Juli Nona supported Piyadasa in all his endeavours while caring for their four children. The relatively phenomenal success of her children and their families is an avid example of how, no matter where one is, good parenting moulds the offspring. Juli Nona acted as the midwife of the village by attending to all the needs of expectant mothers, while Piyadasa excelled in native healing traditions for such women. She faithfully
observed sil every poya day and her favourite place was the small
shrine she had built on a tree stump, by which she would meditate.
The priest from the Kudimbigala Hermitage would visit Kumana on
many a full moon day, and it was Juli Nona who provided alms and
accommodation to the visiting priest. Juli Nona had
her place of prominence with the aristocracy who visited Kumana
by enquiring about their well-being and supplying those families
with food they normally would not get while under canvas, like pittu
and string hoppers. These relationships and those formed by Piyadasa, later enabled her and her family to have ready access to the highest in the land, including the then Prime Ministers. With the National
Park being declared, many attempts were made by the authorities
to relocate the village, but the villagers including Juli Nona succeeded
in defending their homeland against all odds. It was finally the
spectre of terrorism that broke their spirit and forced them to
move on, over a decade ago, soon after Piyadasa passed away. Even after
leaving Kumana for far away Kanichigala, Juli Nona's heart was in
Kumana. The Bo sapling she took from Kumana as a parting memento,
today thrives in Kanichigala and is venerated by the people of the
area. The delight she got when given some water from the Kumbukkan
Oya collected by us, from a previous camping trip a few months before
her passing away, bears testimony to the bond she had with Kumana. After enshrining the ashes of Juli Nona, with the tombstone facing the windswept Kumana Villu, next to that erected for her husband Piyadasa, we were glad and proud of this token gesture of gratitude on behalf of the noble lady from Kumana. Hopefully, the
tombstones of Piyadasa and Juli Nona will remain as a lasting reminder
of the magnetic Kumana of yesteryear for the generations who will
never have the opportunity of experiencing it for real. The birds,
the glades, the streams - they call, And kachan
winds that toss the tree, Take me
where I long to be I've always
been in need of Thee! - Lala Adithiya What three scholar monks saw and did By Upali
Salgado Buddhist scriptures
were found in monasteries in Taxila, Nalanda, Indrasala, Tamralipti
(modern Tamluk in Bengal), in Lhasa (Tibet), and Anuradhapura. The
group consisted of Hsuang Tsang, Buddhaghosa, a monk of North Indian
origin, and Fa Hsien, the Chinese traveller. The other group, who continuously did research by excavating old Buddhist sites, were archaeologists including Sir Alexander Cunninghaw (the first Director General of Archaelogical Survey, India), General Johnson, Capt. Maissey, Sir John Marshall, Carlyle and our own Prof. Senarat Paranavithane. Due to their efforts, today, we have valuable authentic records to indicate what status Buddhism had in those early principalities and kingdoms. We can also know from archaelogical findings the path the Buddha trod in India, and where He lived and also where He passed away. The golden era
of Buddhism in India was under the Gupta Kings. In the puranas Sakyamuni
Gotama Buddha appears to have been accepted as a "Avatara"
of Vishnu, however, in the Fourth Century AD this position changed
when Buddhists developed the theory of the Adhibuddha. Due to Hindu
influence the worship of the Buddha images and of Bodhisattvas,
was elaborate and ceremonial ritualism. The doctrine of Karma and
the importance of the ten Paramitas gained acceptance with the popularisation
of the Jataka stories of the Bodhisattva (previous lives of the
Buddha) which were at first written in verse, in Sanskrit and Magadhi.
It was in this scenario that the pilgrims Hsuang Tsang, Fa Hsien
and Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa went in search of ancient scriptures.
Their accounts are valuable records. Hsuang Tsang
has written extensively referring to the status of Buddhism in the
Seventh Century AD, in areas now called Kashmir and in the Kabul
Valley. He says that there were more than ten large monasteries
of the Mahayana Buddhist school having a strength of over 5000 monks
residing there. Sinhapura and Taxila identified by Sir Alexander
Cinningham were in the Kingdom of Kashmir. The territory of Kasi-Mo-Lo
(Kashmir) was regarded as the cradle of Sanskrit Buddhism. Hsuang Tsang
resided in this valley for more than two years and learned the Buddhist
Sutras at Jayender Vihar, which was built by King Pravarasena of
Kashmir. From records given by Hsuang Tsang it is known that three
great scholars of Kashmir, Ratnacintha, Arjuna and Buddhapala visited
China to translate a number of Buddhist scriptures into Chinese.
Hsuang Tsang has also said that King Lalithaditiya of Kashmir, like
Emperor Ashoka, gave a prominent place within Kashmir for the propagation
of Buddhism along with the Saivite Hindus who were allowed to have
their temples. Although Mahayana
Buddhism gained a foothold in Kashmir, according to Hsuang Tsang,
the Theravada Buddhist monks resided in about ten monasteries at
Kusambi and Saravasthi. From these accounts, it is clear that both
the Mahayana Buddhist monks and those of the Theravada tradition
lived at the same time scattered all over India, enjoying royal
patronage. Buddhagosha,
the North Indian monk was born in a village called Ghosha, not far
away from Buddha Gaya. Having gained proficiency in the Pitakas,
he came to be known as Buddhagosha or "Gosha the Sage".
He decided to journey to Lanka on the same day that another scholar
monk, Buddhadatta set sail for Lanka. The two vessels collided,
and remained stationary. The two learned men fell into a deep conversation
about each other's knowledge. Buddhadatta had said that he possessed
the Jinalankara, the Dhatuwansa and Bodhiwansa, but not the Attakathas
and the Tikas. He then implored Buddhaghosha, who knew the Maghasa
language, to transcript them for posterity. Buddhaghosha accepted
the task. On arrival
at a place called Dvijathana in North Lanka, he paid his respects
to the Sangharaja and about 500 monks assembled in a hall and then
recited a learned discourse on the Abhidhamma and Vinaya. The Sangharaja
was very pleased and made arrangements for him to reside at the
Maha Meha Uyana, Anuradhapura in a seven-storey building, where
he wrote the Vissudhi magga, (The Path of Purification) and earned
the name "Voice of Buddhism". Fa Hsien the
traveller monk, started his long journey from Central China and
made his way through modern Turkistan and Afghanistan. He took the
silk route to arrive at this region and came to modern Pakistan
through the Khyber Pass. Fa Hsien moved
through North India studying the Buddhist scriptures and eventually
came to modern Andra Pradesh. He later moved further south, and finally arrived in Lanka. It is known that he lived at the Maha Vihara in Anuradhapura for several years and visited Adam's Peak, travelling via Ratnapura. The massive 40 ft tall cave where he resided, is seen at Bulathsinhala, not far away from Horana. |
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Ltd. All rights reserved. |
