Minneriya - along the north east trek

by Padma Edirisinghe

They called it once the South West Trek. Name was not coined by the Trekkers themselves who were fast fleeing Magha's invasions cum other invasions and drifting Southwards in a frenzied search for safety but was coined by scholars and historians later.

And here we are, in the furthest South that trek ended around i.e. the Kolonthota area (Colombo) and Kotte, the fortress area built by Nissanka Alagakkonara, again as a defence against invaders from the North. And now as we make our mental or physical pilgrimage to the areas where the island's civilization began we could call it the Northern trek or the North East trek, going back along that very route.

Proceed along the Colombo-Kandy road and turn off just past Warakapola and drive onwards via Polgahawela to Kurenegala. Then on to Dambulla of Ran Giri Dambulla Vihara fame and now the road branches off, one to our most ancient and long standing capital of Anuradhapura and the other towards the second capital, Polonnaruwa or Pulathisi Pura, the city of the sage Pulathisi. More on that city later.

Just now as one passes through the still primeval looking forest range of Habarana, despite the modern tourist complexes mushrooming in the area. one already feels the inexplicable ancient or medieval ambience.

Something formidable, awe-inspiring, mystic, thick as thickness that one just cannot wade through. Here in this landscape lie or sprawl in solemn and brooding dignity, masterpieces built of old, that defy verbal eulogies.

Nissanka Lata Mandapaya

The Vatadage

The Minneriya tank built by king Mahasena is one such, Hingurakgoda is its closest town. In fact Hingurakgoda according to folk lore owes its name to Prince Hingurak, a sacrifice to the success of the construction of the Minneri bund who in some long winded way gets involved with an Indian deity.

The "sacrificial" cult itself may have sprung from these connections. If one was to hunt for a birth certificate of this hydraulic giant one has to rummage through files of a long buried history when this tank covering an enormous land area of about 4560 acres began to take shape.

Its waters that began spangling somewhere around the 3rd Century yet spangle after 1,800 years or so, with the same silvery radiance that almost articulates the hope that, "Whatever, whatever happens, Little Lanka will go on".

King Mahasen who later came to be revered as Minneri Deiyo due to the construction of this tank that nourished a large populace of the Raja Rata, area, had taken over the reins of power from Jetta Tissa 1 from his elder brother in 274 AD.

Initially he became unpopular due to his fraternizing a seemingly heretical sect making him withdraw support to the Maha Vihara and devoting his attention to Abhayagiri and Jetavana Viharas, the haunts of the new sect. (This policy had changed later) But that he was one of the very few kings of Lanka to be elevated to the status of gods (Deiyo) transpire that for the people at large, the interests of the belly preceded that of faith.

Mahasen not only built the massive Minneriya tank but 15 other tanks and an Ela (canal) now identified as the Elahara canal. Thus the optimum water supply was ensured for the Rajarata area. Chronicler of Mahavamsa. though not much in favour of the king due to religious factors, yet gives these details, "To make the land fertile, he (Mahasen) made 16 tanks, the Minihira (Minneriya), Mahagama, Challura, Khanu, Mahamani, Kokavata, Dhammarama, Kumbaka, Vahana, Rattaramalkandaka, Tissavaddhamankade, Velagavitti, Mahagallaka, Cira, Kahadargallaka and the Kalapassna, Phabathantha."

Perhaps all these tanks have not been identified but one can almost visualize the hydraulic glory that resulted... More than the enchanting glory it meant abundant supplies of rice via well-irrigated fields.

An issue arises why Mahasen concentrated on the Minneriya areas closer to the city of Polonnaruwa and away from the capital of Anuradhapura where he was king. Some scholars are of the view that after his "apostate" days that made him unpopular, he left the capital and begins to live at Nuwaragala, a fortress close to Koduruweva range of hills that separate the Matale range of hills from Tamankaduwa.

It was during his stay here that he had conceived the construction of a tank of gigantic dimensions, his first tank. The location of the site was entrusted to the Adigar of Ritigala who chose the area where Illukola Weva, Thalvaturu Oya and Kiri Oya converged...

Mahavemsa mentions as interesting fact that the Yakkas living at Ritigala protested about the construction of Minneriya. Protests at large ventures that disturb the environment of dwellers seems not now.

The Yakkas staple food was millet that was grown in this area. The King manages to pacify them and finally the massive work had to be accomplished with Yakka aid only. It had turned out to be a "Yakage vadak", devils "own work". But these Yakkas were really a tribe (and not flesh eating devils but vegetarians who fed on millet) who had graced the courts of king Pandukhabaya too.

The Veddah clan however lays claim to the fact that the Yakkas who lived in this area were their ancestors.

This incredibly large sheet of water that covered about 4500 acres plus went into hiding with the extinction of Rajarata capitals. But not into complete hiding for it was so expansive. The Sinhalas forgot the area as they kept coming down.

The came the Western conquistadors including the Anglo men among whom some turned curious about the forgotten wilds of the North Central and North East. The large lake still peeped through lush forest cover refusing to be ignored. Pybus had been the first Britisher to set eyes on it from his trip to Kandy from Trincomalee in 1762.

In 1803 Minneriya had been selected as a military post and soon it was getting its due place in cartography and narrative. (Incidentally the writer returning from Somawathie Chaitya last year passed the spot one honour before our own army suffered carnage at LTTE hands. She had just viewed on the way the scintillating waters of Minneriya tank and Just past it was again the military post as in 1803. She saw the doomed army men waiting for their vehicles chatting and drinking tea.

The writer wishes to conclude this article with two passages from well-known writers.

"At the 14th milepost(?) we reach the Lake of Minneriya which is one of the most exquisite things in Ceylon. "(from" Ceylon Govt. Railway "by Henry Cave.) Dr. R. L. Brohier, the indefatigable traveller, writer and researcher writes, "When as a result of reckless recurring revolutions, the population abandoned these plains and desolation reigned, in Minneriya was the only tank which survived the dire affects of neglect. The bunds never breached and stood for centuries as lone sentinels over the waters they confined."

The writer herself on a Minneriya safari arranged for her by the Sudu Araliya hotel, Polonnaruwa had the fortune to climb an improvised water post helped by a guide. The memory remains indelible not only of the huge tank coming down defying Time but of a shrine witnessed far away across the waters.

"In it is Minneri deiyo" (Minneri Dei Hamuduruwo ethana vedala innawa). said the rustic looking guide. You are kidding, I wanted to say but did not. It would have been sacrilegious to say so.

It was a Devale built for king mahasen where drums are beaten morning and evening in his memory. I almost got a feverish wish to go there.

"Another day, lady" said the young guide and added that along the circuitous land route it could be almost 30 miles from here and that soon it will be dusk when wild animals begin to roam the surrounding jungle. He knew his duty of protecting me.

I never made it after that day but the drum beats of the shrine still linger in my ears. Even Brohier mentions that on his visits he visited Devales that carry status of Mahasen where he is worshipped as a god.

"The Veda Inna Maligawa" is one such "he writes. Was what I saw in the distance this Veda Inna maligawa? Anyway all these belong to our heritage and as one looks over the wide vista of waves and waves of water that have danced here since the 3rd Century, water that kept on feeding a nation, I think, what a past that can lead to a future that cannot get eased easily....