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by Andrew Scott

Hanguranketha, a sleepy village nestling in a deep valley of the central hills, has been much in the news recently but many are unaware of the cherished history and legend of this unique Kandyan village which has now undergone a great sociological and economic change. Particularly in the early 60s when I had the privilege of serving in schools in this area I was able to collect much historical material about Hanguranketha and its environs.

When one takes the road from Kandy and proceed east passing the meandering Mahaweli river for about 17 miles he will come to this ancient kingdom and fortress of the Kandyan kings. Hanguranketha is a valley surrounded by the mist clad central mountains. It is a quiet and lonely townlet which has a long and enchanting history behind its musical name. During the ancient times Hanguranketha was popularly known as Diyatileka Nuwara.

Robert Knox, in his interesting book, An Historical Relation of Ceylon, describing Diyatileka Nuwara says: "The fifth city is Diyatileka Nuwara towards the east of Kandy, lying in the country of Hewaheta, where the king ever since he was routed from Nilambe in the rebellion of 1664 hath held his court. The situation of this place is very rocky and mountainous, the lands barren; so that hardly a worse place could be found out in the whole island. Yet the king chose it, partly because it lies about the middle of his kingdom, but chiefly for his safety; leaving the great mountain Galauda behind his palace, unto which he fled for safety in rebellion, being not only high, but on the top of it lie three towns, and corn fields, where he may have necessary supplies, and it is so fenced with steep cliffs, rocks and woods that a few men here will be able to defend themselves against a great army." Many kings of Kandy made Hanguranketha their place of refuge in times of foreign invasion. On every occasion in which Kandy was invaded the Kandyan kings abandoned the city and fled to Hanguranketha for safety. This was done frequently during the invasions of the Portuguese and the Dutch. As a result of these invasions Hanguranketha had to undergo many losses at the hands of the enemies.

In 1612 Marcellus de Bouchouver, a Dutchman, was sent as an Ambassador to king Senerath. Bouchouver, who is described to have possessed a pleasing personality won the king's confidence and he became one of the closest associates of king Senarath. The king named Bouchouver as "Meegamuwe Rala" and this "Meegamuwe Rala's" office was situated at Hanguranketha. It was from this office that Bouchouver wrote to his homeland and to the Dutch East India Company about the affairs in the Kandyan kingdom. Some of the very important letters of this period were written from Hanguranketha.

Hanguranketha has many places of historic and architectural interest. One such place is the ancient palace constructed by king Senarath and later improved by king Rajasinghe II, a veteran war campaigner. Describing this palace as it stood at that time Robert Knox says: "His palace stands adjoining to a great hill, which was before mentioned. Near unto that part of the hill next abutting upon his court none dares presume to set his foot; that being for his safeguard to fly unto in time of need. The palace is walled about with a clay wall, and thatched, to prevent the clay being melted by the rains, which are great and violent; within this wall it is all full of houses; most of which are low and thatched; but some are two storeys high, and tiled very handsomely, with open galleries for air." He describes the palace in great detail and also states "Indeed the king lives there not so much for pleasure as security."

Many of these historical buildings were ruined by invaders and in 1803 many of its temples and palaces were completely destroyed. A few of the ruins left, including a moonstone, are kept in the Potgul Viharaya at Hanguranketha and one of these moonstones is kept in the Colombo Museum. Two cannons dug from the precincts of Hanguranketha adorn the lawn of the Kandy museum. As at present during the time of the Kandyan kings too Hanguranketha had been a village of agriculturists and during the times of the kings too it had been well irrigated and there had been many tanks to provide water for agriculture.

Hanguranketha is well known for its Esala Perahera which is held annually in September on the same lines as the Kandy Esala Perahera. Towering over Hanguranketha is the Diyatileka mountain and on the summit of this mountain there is a rock inscription saying that king Wimala Dharma Suriya II climbed it.

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