 What
is the origin of Maddakalappu?
The capital of the Eastern Province in the country is strangely known
as Batticaloa in English. These foreigners who ruled Lanka had distorted
the native names of indigenous places to suit their pronunciation. But
we still continue calling our places with their stupid spelling and
pronunciation.
I do not know who gave the name Batticaloa to a fertile place in the
east. Probably the Hollanders... In certain languages like the Dutch the
letter ‘M’ is replaced with the letter ‘B’. So Maddakalappu became
Batticaloa. This is my assumption. Knowledgeable people should enlighten
us on this.
Maddakalappu in Thamil became Madakalapuwa in Sinhala.
Having born in this quaint town in an area called Puliyantheevu in
October 1936 and lived there until 1953, I am curious to know the origin
of this town. But there are not many books available in either Thamil or
English for me to learn on this subject.
The latest book available in Thamil came out in 2005 under the title
Maddakalappu Poorva Charithiram (The Ancient History of Maddakalappu).
Published by Kumaran Puthaha Illam, publishers of quality books at 201,
Dam Street, Colombo 12, this book was compiled by Vidwan S.Kamalanathan
and Kamala Kamalanathan with an introductory note by the late military
analyst D.Sivaram who hailed from the Municipality of Maddakalappu.
This 138 page book is written in a style of the Pundits probably to
suit the verses in Thamil used as the text of the book. There are 83
subheadings in the book tracing the origin of this area. However the
authors of this book should be thanked for collecting, collating and
presenting their material in a scientific manner avoiding eulogies.
Gleanings from the introductory note:
The Monograph
Many quote The Monograph of Batticalao written by the late S. O.
Kanagaratnam in1923 to know about the ancient history of Maddakalappu.
In the late 1960s an anthropologist from the U.S., Dennis B. Mc Gilvray
researched into Mukkuva Vannimai, the Matriarchal Civil Society in
Batticalaoa and other subjects.
Mark Whitaker also from the U. S. did some research centring on
Mandoor temple. What S. O. Kanagaratnamand Kadirgamar had written could
not be considered as primary source in determining the history of the
town because they ere based on what the Britishers wrote as notes.
During the Chola regime in Lanka there were the Thirukovil
inscriptions, Veeramunai and Sammanthurai Bronze plates were available
as far as Maddakalappu was concerned. In the temple built by the Cholas
at Thirukovil two inscriptions were read. This temple was demolished by
the Portuguese in the 16th century.
In 1962 the late F X C Nadarasa wrote a book in Thamil called
Maddakalappu Maanmiyam. Some details about Maddakalappu can be discerned
from ‘Portuguese Regiments on Sri Lanka’ translated by Tikkiri
Abeysinghe.
Please read the introduction for further information. Switching on to
other segments in the book under review we find that the following are
explained in the form of explanatory footnotes to the verses included
from the Ola leaves and other sources.
Historical Information regarding the East
Maddakaalappu ancient history, according to the Vijaya’s arrival and
rule, the periods when Sri Kulasenan came to Lanka, dividing Lanka into
three regions, history of Gutthikan, history of Senan, history of
Srikulan, history of Prasana Sithu-Buvaneyakabahu, history of
Manuneyakabahu, history of Aadaka Soundarie, history of Mahasenan,
history of Sinhakumaran, history of Koolanka Aariyan, history of
Ukkantha Hills, Bhanu’s history, Amarasena’s history - arrival of
Maravar, the period in which Gunasingan ruled Madakalappu,,
Ulaganachciy’s history, Kalinga Kula Banga Naadan’s history, arrival of
Pndiyan prince, Kumarasinhan’s history, Kathir Suthan’s history,
Mathisuthan’s history, Nathan’s history,Thinasinga’s history,
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