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by Florence Wickramage

The “Maha Kaththoru Wewa” Picture

Having a mid-day meal on a lotus leaf (nelum-kole) was a cherished experience of my childhood days. I remember accompanying my elder aunt to the fields carrying the "ambula" to those who were working in our fields.

I remember the happy times I enjoyed with them eating the "ambula" off the nelum-leaves, seated under a shady tree.

This experience was re-lived a few weeks back when I covered an official assignment at Galgamuwa.

Getting away from the busy city life was something I always looked forward to. Therefore it was with great delight that I accepted the outstation assignment. We set off around 4.00 in the morning and it was an experience in itself to drive out of the city while it was still dark. As the grey dawn gave way to the morning rays of the new rising sun, we had passed acres and acres of paddy-fields, rivers and streamlets and large extents of green, green woodland, a relaxing contrast to the `concrete jungle' we left behind.

As regards the North Central Province, any one who travels along the roads would be apt to think that the bulk of the country is "forest" - but in reality there is no more than a belt, and inside there is only low chena or scrub and only here and there are blocks of forest with palu, ebony and satinwood to be found. (Ceylon in 1903). We found a great number of young trees growing by the wayside, which would have been planted about a decade ago.

After the morning's duty we accompanied the VVIPs to Mudannaegama where the foundation was laid for the erection of a section of the Electric Fence at Kahalle-Pallekele. Ceylon in 1899 of John Ferguson says that Pallakele covering some 35,000 acres consisted of halmilla and ebony. We were thereafter informed that we would be having our mid-day meal at the premises of an ancient temple which turned out to be an exciting experience.

We reached the Kaththoruwa Theethiya ancient temple well past noon and the setting was exquisitely peaceful.

The temple was located at an elevation of sylvan surroundings beside a tank. Villagers informed us that this tank never ran dry even in the fiercest drought.

The tank "Maha Kaththoru Wewa" is a favourite drinking and bathing place of wild elephants which could be seen in great numbers towards evening.

Across the wewa is the catchment area and in close vicinity is the Kalawewa of King Dhatusena. In ancient Sri Lanka the kings attached great importance to tanks and irrigation schemes and it was king Dhatusena who vouched that "water was his treasure" when confronted by his son Prince Kasyapa.

The Thiththapajjala Ancient temple at Sasseruwa is also in close vicinity. According to folklore a half-built replica of the Aukana Buddha statue is found in this temple.

It is said to have been built by the pupil of the sculptor of the Aukana Buddha. In the olden days herds of elephants had been seen roaming along the Siyamblangamuwa Wewa at Usgala through Reswehera to Kahalle-Pallekele. The Kaththoruwa Ancient Temple had a fascinating array of replicas and sculptures which bore testimony to its antiquity. The villagers loved their temple and it was the women 'dayikas' who had prepared our mid-day meal. We were handed over with reed watties with a nelum kole spread over it.

City folk are of the opinion that the nelum kole should be turned upwards to serve the meal, whereas the villagers said that the proper method was to overturn the leaf for use. The feast spread before us was truly a mouth-watering array of 'gamay-kema", complete with the 'thal-kola ambula' which we in the village used to eat with pittu. Some of my colleagues tasted this dish for the first time and was all praise for it. Some did not even know its name and I took great pride in enriching their knowledge about the various typical village-type dishes that had been prepared for us.

The meal was topped with a desert of curd and treacle. The soft breeze which blew over the waters caressed our tired minds and bodies and a flock of pelicans at one end of the wewa was a beautiful sight while a group of 'seru' (cormorants) gently glided past the rock on which I was seated.

The meal over, we regretfully wended our way back to the vehicle for the return journey. At one point the driver applied sudden brakes and we clambered out to find out its cause. Right in the middle of our path was a young star-tortoise which the driver insisted that he would take home.

We vehemently protested and reminded the driver that his passengers were all environmentalists and that the tortoise should be released into its habitat.

Complainglly the driver placed the baby tortoise by the side of the paddy field whilst muttering that on his next journey he would take one home. We were informed that tortoises were very common in that particular area.

Halfway through our journey, the great rain-clouds that were gathering burst forth and sheets and sheets of rainwater blinded our path. We were forced to drive on very slowly and when we reached our various destinations, it was well past midnight, thus drawing the curtain on an adventurous and enjoyable day.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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