Elusive 'Kalunika' and 'Madara'

by P. D. A. S. Gunasekera

'Kalunika' and 'Madara' are 'legendary vegetation' through the ages, in Sri Lanka and have been often mentioned, by the ancient people, to mean something impossible of achievement.

R. H. Basset in his 'Romantic Ceylon', 1929, describes both 'Kalunika' and equally rare 'Madara', as very rare forms of trees growing sparsely in the slopes of Kurugala rocks and Kongalamankada respectively, in the 1920s.

'Kalunika' had been from time immemorial known to the inhabitants of Sri Lanka as a powerful (invested with magical powers) and extremely difficult plant to find, and through lack of initiative and want of desire for adventure had neglected to search for even after the foreigners had located the trees in Ceylon.

The references to the plants in 'Romantic Ceylon', indicate that these plants though rare, had been available in the island but had died and disappeared later for want of attention and care of the inhabitants who had paid lip-service to them but never searched for them, as the foreign nationals in Ceylon did, since their advent to the country.

Basset says in his memorandum that a twig of 'Kalunika' was believed to bring good health and fortune to those who possessed it.

In his research he had found 'Attikukula' (skinny chicken) or 'the jungle crow' had known the efficacy of 'Kalunika' so much so that, they had used at least a 'twig' of this latter, when building their nests as a protection for their young ones.

He says (in 'Romantic Ceylon') that the ancient people had used a test to determine the efficacy of 'Kalunika' by throwing a small twig into the flowing water or into the fire.

If it was Kalunika, the twig went upstream and the fire left it intact, according to the traditional belief. (Basset recommends the test as genuine and worth trying). He also mentions the case of a 'crow' imprisoned in a cage, escaping from it, when a 'twig' of 'Kalunika' put in the cage, caused this latter to burst into bits. He says that the 'magic power' of Kalunika could be a part of the 'Natural Historical Law' worth being pursued and tested.

H. Wace in 1887 had said in a report quoted by Basset, that 'Madara' was a rare tree which grew at Kongalamankada. The Brahamins, and Hindus had periodically visited the tree and removed the bark and leaves, for their medicinal value.

The tree, was later identified by Dr. Tremen, as 'Cleistathus Collinus', very rare in Ceylon, with the bark and fruit very poisonous.

The flower of the 'Madara' tree so uncommon, commanded the respect and admiration, due to its rarity.

The flower was also invested with divinity, so much so that in Ceylon, it was supposed to be worn by the gods and goddesses. Basset also reveals that 'Madara' was a native plant and not an heavenly product as supposed by the ancient people of Sri Lanka.

In the 'one inch to the mile' map of Ceylon the location of the 'Madara' trees has been marked. The map indicates the existence of two 'Madara' trees. But the exact location is difficult to find without further guidance, according to the 'Romantic Ceylon'.

Thus 'Madara' flower seems very much indigenous to Sri Lanka and not a 'celestial flower' as mentioned in some Sinhala literature.

The flower 'Madara', probably due to its rarity, has been used by writers as a divine flower, meant exclusively to be worn by the gods and goddesses.

Referring to the attitude of the natives to the two rare trees in Sri Lanka, Basset wrote in 1929, "the desire to see the unique - a human ambition that irresistibly stirs many people to activity - has so far inspired very few investigators to visit the only 'Madara' tree, in Ceylon," at the time.

It might indeed be possible for these rare trees, 'Kalunika' and 'Madara' to be still found in the thick jungles of the island, following the directions of the research undertaken by the colonial explorers of the 18th and 19th centuries, if pursued along the same lines taken by them in the not too distant past.