A two-day trip was organized (11th & 12th October, 2014), to explore the Manaekanda area. Manaekanda or 'Neelagiriya' is believed to be one of the last settlements of the 'pure' YAKKA tribal people of the ancieant Sri Lanka. The history of the 'Ravishylaasha' clan of the Yakka people had been written in a ola-leaf-skript known as the 'Wariga-poornikawa', which is said to have been in a cave at Manaekanda, before the cave was burnt down by some invaders. Parts of this skript had been saved from the fire, and had come down a few generations to Ven. Manawe Wimalarathana thero, the present owner of the skript. He has translated the yakka language text, and understood much of it. We were lucky to meet the Ven. Thero on our way to Manaekanda. Wimalarathna thero was in his native village called 'Manaewa' on that day. After meeting him, we crossed over to the village 'Hapidiyagama' (where we spent that night) through a short-cut. Hapidiyagama is a few kilometres away from Maradankadawala.
Contact : Duminda or Priyanka (025 57 17 563 / 072 44 94 308) for food & accomodation at Hapidiyagama.
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| Ven. Manawe Wimalarathana Thero briefing us |
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Manaekanda as seen from the Manaewa village,
(via Ippalogama - on the Kekirawa Thalawa road) |
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| The base of a ruined structure (Hospital ?) |
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| A large pond in ruins |
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| An Urinal stone |
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| Inscriptions on a cave ceiling |
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| Common Albatross |
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| Lesser Albatross |
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| Dark Wanderer |
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| Oriental Scarlet |
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| Scarlet Basker |
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| Crimson Dropwing |
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| Garden Lizard |
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| Indian Flying-Fox |
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| Red Narrow-Mouth Frog (Microhyla rubra) |
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the Exploration team (Left to Right) : Aruna, Preethi, Swarnathilaka, Neelamanai, Kumari, Lalith,
Dumimda (our host) & Mahinda (our tracker from the village). |
