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by Florence Wickramage

Names of certain places islandwide bear testimony to the fact that Jak or "Kos" had been grown in abundance all over the country from ancient times. Historical records reveal that even Sinhala kings had encouraged the growth of Jak trees.

It is also interesting to note that much of these areas are in the district of Badulla, and most of these are in wet and intermediate zones of the country, where there are plenty of jak trees available. In and around the city of Colombo, there are still places named after Jak trees e.g. Kosgashandiya, Koswatte.

Kosgama - village of jak trees - Colombo

Koslande - low jungle area with jak trees - Badulla

Kosgoda - land area of jak trees - Galle

Koswatte - estate of jak trees - Colombo/Ratnapura

Kosmulla - corner area with jak trees - Galle

Kospitiya - open land area with jak trees - Moneragala

Kosgamawewa - tank of the village of jak trees - Badulla

Kosgammulla - corner village with jak trees - Badulla

Kosgolla - area with a cluster of jak trees - Badulla

Kosgahakumbura - paddy field of a jak tree - Badulla

Kosgahatenne - flat land area with a jak tree - Badulla

Kosgahamankada - road with a jak tree - Badulla

Kosgollatenna - flat land area with a cluster of jak trees - Badulla

Koskabale ela - canal of the outer cover of a jak fruit - Badulla

Kospollamulla - corner of a jak timber rod - Badulla

Koskanuwa amuna - anicut of jak pole - Badulla

Kosgahauhana - mountainous area with a jak treeon the top - Badulla

Kosgaharawa - a canal with a jak tree - Badulla

Warakawa - area with ripened jak fruit - Nuwara-Eliya

Warakapola - a place with ripened jak fruit - Kegalle

Warakagoda - an area with ripened jak fruit - Kalutara

Panawala - a jungle of jak trees - Kegalle

Panawenna - an area with jak trees - Kegalle

Heraliya

"Heraliya" is another name used mainly by villagers for jak. There is an interesting legend connected with the word.

The story goes thus: Long ago, well beyond history occurred a severe famine. A large number of men, women and children died due to starvation. At this time of disaster, the seat of God Sakkra (Pandukambla shailasanaya) got heated up. According to Indian belief this God the chief among gods is said to be living in Thauthisa Divya Lokaya - one of the six heavens. Sakkra's seat is said to get heated up if severe misfortunes afflict human beings.

The God then disguised himself as a beggar and moved about among the people. He quietly stepped into an extremely poor cottage in a distant village.

In this Cottage he saw an old woman made very feeble through fatigue and starvation. The beggar (Sakkra Deviyo) asked the woman for some food. "I don't have any food at home" lamented the old woman deeply crestfallen. Pointing to a tree laden with large fruits the beggar asked the woman, "Why don't you pluck one of those thorny fruits, peel it and boil its axils for me to eat?"

The old woman plucked a fruit from a low branch, peeled it, removed all the axils and started boiling them in a pot placed over a hearth. The beggar again spoke to the woman and said that he would take a bath in the nearby stream and would comeback by the time the contents of the pot are boiled. So saying he vanished.

In the meantime, the woman sat by the hearth adding firewood to keep the fire burning. She then suddenly smelt a delicious flavour emanating from the boiling axils and decided to taste some as she herself was very hungry. She then served herself with the steaming food and kept on eating until she suddenly realised that she had eaten up the entirety quantity.

The beggar returned after the bath and spoke to the woman "give me also a little bit of what you were boiling". The woman became speechless and the beggar witnessed the empty pot where the axils were kept to boil. Angrily the beggar reprimanded the woman and shouted at her "Heraliya, heraliya" ("hera-liya" thief woman) and disappeared.

(Reference: heraliyainasia website)

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