I thought there was nothing to see in Palindanuwara. But this small wooded village slipped into obscurity sits on the edge of a story brimming with historical significance – one that dates back to the period of Prince Veediya Bandara. We drove further up around 30 kilometres deep inside Palindanuwara in Bulathsinhala to find out more about ‘Pelada Satana’.
Our destination was the historic Pelada Raja Maha Vihara in the Palindanuwara Divisional Secretariat area. This rustic village of Pelada is located by the picturesque meandering Maguru Ganga which flows from the Sinharaja Forest, in the Agalawatta electorate in the Kalutara district.
A resident bhikkhu explains about artefacts in the museum
The Pelada ancient temple lies just 6.5 kilometres away, on the Molkawa road near Bulathsinhala on the Baduraliya road which links the Agalawatta town. Any history buff would be intrigued by the history the village holds and its over 600-years-old ruined palace and fort.
The warrior Prince Veediya Bandara and his queen Sooriyadevi who had fled to Palindanuwara from Sitawaka mustered an army and weapons on this temple ground and led the war against the Portuguese during the latter part of the 16th century.
A battleground
According to history, it is said that Prince Veediya Bandara led battles against King Mayadunne, the ruler of Sitawaka and the Portuguese and attacked them from time to time, camped at Pelada in Palindanuwara. Later, Prince Veediya Bandara married the sister of Tikiri Kumaru (King Mayadunne’s daughter) after the death of Queen Sooriyadevi. King Mayadunne also led a battle against Prince Veediya Bandara due to his cruelty to his daughter. The battle between Prince Veediya Bandara and Tikiri Kumaru is believed to have taken place at Divalakada, 35 kilometres away from here, in Bulathsinhala.
We walked towards the temple and met a resident bhikkhu since the Chief Incumbent was away from the temple. He was eager to take us round. Like any other monument of yore, this too has some beauty even though it is in ruins. A life-size statue of the warrior Prince Veediya Bandara and his horse have been sculptured on the temple ground that catch the first glimpse of the visitors to the temple. Most of the monuments in the palace and the fort are damaged and some have disappeared. But the character and the rustic charm make up for the losses.
At the entrance to the temple, modern buildings are seen along with the old ones. There is also a small museum which recalls the history of the life of Prince Veediya Bandara and his weaponry of the battle.
Historical artefacts
The ‘Ma Keli’ waterfall
Numerous artefacts dating back to the era of Prince Veediya Bandara, are strewn in the village. Some artefacts such as swords of different shapes and sizes, stone cannon balls used in cannons, stone ornaments found in gem pits and details of ancient gun making expertise of the blacksmiths in the area, are preserved in the museum.
Some villagers being unaware of the value of historical monuments have pilfered carved stone door frames and pillars of the ancient palace.
At the museum, the bhikkhu showed us the picture of a unique gun made by the craftsmen of Pelada who had excellent craftsmanship in making guns and ammunition. Those belonging to a particular caste in Pelada were blacksmiths for generations and made iron weaponry and guns used against the enemies of Prince Veediya Bandara.
The Pelada blacksmiths swiftly learnt sophisticated gun and ammunition technology and made better guns than those used by the Portuguese. A 74-inch-long gun had been found by a farmer in his paddy field on the banks of the Maguru ganga near Baduraliya in 1950. The gun which weighs 80 pounds is exhibited at the National Museum in Colombo.
Mystical place
The ruined stone pillars of Prince Veediya Bandara’s Fort
A few yards away, amid the Pelada river, there is a mystical place where a rock formation comes out from the water with a creation depicting the form of a gun. The villagers called it ‘Thuwakku gala’ (gun rock). The village on the other side of the river called ‘Aachariwatta’ (Garden of blacksmiths). In the past, a generation of blacksmiths had lived in this village, but a few families are living there now. They too are keen to strick out on lucrative businesses. The blacksmiths had made ‘Sinhala guns’ using various techniques such as ‘Kodithuwakku’ and ‘Dig thuwakku’ to use in different situations
The people of Palindanuwara have deified Prince Veediya Bandara. Folk tradition records that Prince Veediya Bandara was reborn as a deity by the name of ‘Ma Keli’. The Makeli Ella is another historic and picturesque spot near Palindanuwara. The 70-foot waterfall cascades from a branch of the Kukule Ganga which flows down to the Kuda Ganga. This waterfall lies 14.2 kilometres along the Agalawatta-Baduraliya road via the Lathpadura junction.
Even though the place and its historical monuments have fallen into dereliction, Pelada’s tryst with valour aptly continues. Palindanuwara and adjoining villages are interwoven with many folk tales of Prince Veediya Bandara. Surrounded by mountains and the meandering Maguru and Kukule Ganga, Pelada remained difficult to access. The thick foliage that encircled the village in ancient times became a hideout for the warrior Prince Veediya Bandara.
The photograph of the Pelada guns and the cannon balls in the temple museum
