Folklore and wildlife of Yala National Park
An introduction in brief to the history of Ruhuna certainly is
pivotal prior to the projection of your mind towards the education of
Yala Folklore and its Wild Life. Our Country was constituted of three
ruling states namely, Ruhuna, Maya and Pihiti in the past.
These three states were also known as the "Three Sinhalaya" it was so
found for the first time in the rock inscriptions originated by Queen
Leelawathie. The present history of Ruhuna has its nucleus emerging from
Dambadiva (India).
There were several Ambassadors who were in the retinue of Vijaya, who
soon after their arrival start building settlements in the country. King
Amithodana who happened to be one of them had a son by the name of
Pandushakkya, King Amithodana was a brother of King Suddhodana the
father of Prince Siddhartha. Pandushakkya became a father of seven sons
and one daughter whose name was Bhaddakachchayana. Her mother was Susima
Devi.
Bhaddakachchayana was sent on board a ship and floated into the sea
proclaiming that she would be married by a suitable one. Eventually
Princess Bhaddhakachchayana had been brought ashore and she disembarked
at Gokanna in Lakdiva.
Having come to know the incident, Prince Tissa immediately proceeded
to the place and took her in marriage. Out of the other seven sons, six
excluding Gamini, on information came to Lakdiva and constituted their
own Capitals in different places in Lakdiva according to their choices.
The names of those capitals were Rama, Guruwela, Anuradha, Vijitha,
Deegayu and Rohana.
The ruling state which was constituted by the Prince Rohana was later
expanded up to Yala National Park. King Pandukabhaya the son of Ummada
Chitra and Deega Gamini ruled Lakdiva for 37 years; King Mutaseeva for
60 years. After his death king Devanampiyatissa was crowned.
The Mahawamsa says that the second brother of Devanampiyatissa built
a wewa near Walaskema. His Queen gave birth to a son in close proximity
to the Yatala Temple, and named the new born child as Yatalatissa. After
the death of King Yatalatissa his son Gotabhaya became the King.
Consequently his son Kawantissa was crowned.
During Kawantissa's reign the great Magulmahaviharaya and Situlpawwa
cum Chittalapabbatha Temple were built in the outset of Yala which comes
under the stage one of Yala. After his passing away, King Dutugemunu
brought the country under one Flag. According to the book that contains
the plans and boundaries of Ruhuna, said to have been compiled during
the Gampola period indicates such information thus:
River Kaluganga from Kalutara and River Mahaveli and University of
Peradeniya from Kandy were the boundaries within which the great extent
of land of Ruhuna was. As per the rock inscription of the "Galge" (Rock
House) at Boatta which is situated in between the Kumana National Park
and the second stage of the Yala National Park one Prince that goes on
by the name Uthi has been identified as one of the ten brother Kings by
Dr. Paranavithana the Archaeologist.
Mahanagahula was the second capital of the Old Ruhuna. It was divided
into two "Pattus" again the Magam Pattu was subdivided into "Dolos Rata"
and "Atadahas Rata" which means land of 12,000 and 8,000.
Situlpawwa the forest Temple comes under the "Atadahas Rata" and
Tissamaharamaya, the village Temple in "Dolosdahas Rata" where their
were many historical places like Yodha Wewa (Giant embankment) Yodha
Kandiya (Giant Bank), Degundara Wewa, Digan Wawe, Kota Bendi Wewa,
Athuru Mithuru Wewa, Buthwa Wawa, Dharshana wewa, Bandu Wewa, Indigolla
wewa, Kiri Pokuna, Rakina Wala, Wilapala Wewa, Kirindi Viharaya,
Nimalawa, Gigumdara Hill near Situlpawwa the place where the oldest art
of swan line pattern is drawn.
Also the Akasa Chaithya, Gonagalla Chaithya, Padikema, Modaragala,
Katagamuwa, Nandimittra Chaithya, Kanabisaw Galge, Goyamkola Maya Gala,
Mandagala, the holy place which is said to have been the Temple of the
great God Kataragama alias the residence of the God of Siyambalewa.
The above shown places would reveal the historical background. The
life sustenance plant which comes in the traditional medical
prescriptions is a herbal plant that even a patient in his last breath
can be cured. This plant is found in the first stage of the great Yala
forest.
There are many folklore to the effect that the root cause for the
name Patangala was that it was the place where cargo was loaded into
ships.
Yala was proclaimed as forestry on 23rd March, 1900. A British
prisoner of war by the name of Aengal Brake was brought to Ceylon on
1907. Subsequently he was appointed as the first keeper of the Yala
Park.
Later the first Zone of the Yala National Park established on 25th
February, 1938, was 14.101 hectares in area. The Second Zone opened on
1934 was 9.31 hectares. The third Zone opened in 28th April 1967 was
40.775 hectares. The 4th opened on 9th October, 1969 was 26.418 hectares
the 5th opened in 1969 was 6.656 hectares and further 28.905 hectares
were declared as Protected areas.
Kataragama sanctuary assisting 837.7 was Proclaimed 27th May 1928.
Katagamuwa area of 1003.6 hectares and Nimalawa area of 1065.8 hectares
were proclaimed as Sanctuaries with effect from 27th May, 1928 and 18th
March 1993 respectively.
Kudumbigala sanctuary hails in serenity and the fragrance of "Seela"
spread over Kumana with the blessing of the Kudumbigala Temple along
with the Okanda Devalaya. The Chief Incumbent of the Kudumbigala Temple
says, that there had been some Kutumbi families in the Kudumbigala area
in the past.
Also the place where the Okanda Devale alias Murugan Devale is
treated as the original Holy Land of the deity Kataragama. On February,
25 1938 the Colonials announced Yala Park as the Yala National Park. The
department of Sanctuaries was established in 1938 and Mr. A. D.
Wijewardane was appointed its caretaker. The folk Life of Yala is filled
with a lot of tales, and much literature can be seen both in the past
and present.
The Kings and the Ten Fold skilled Giants had built various religious
centres in the Holy Land. Situlpawwa, where 12000 Arahants lived was one
of them. The fisheries wadies at Patanangala and the hunters from
Nimalawa Banduwewa, who are residing in close by Chenas are really a
menace to this Holy Land.
While maintaining the above historical and geographical facts on
folklore, folk life and wildlife in the Yala National Park as a
Photographer and a researcher who read for my masters degree in the
University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, I would like to point out the
following facts also. Chance and tolerance are two important things that
a Photographer should possess while in the jungle. I realized it myself
when I was engaged in taking the photographs of wild animals.
There are some folk stories in relation to the names given to various
wild animals Indian Rolld (Dun bonna) which is given to those who came
to peck insects that are attracted to the rising smoke during the
burning of Chenas. "Sivuru Hora", "Diviya", "Ulama" too are subjects for
such folk stories.
Especially the "White Elephant" which I came across in the Yala
jungle, has become a popular subject among the folk stories. King
Wessantara had given in alms a white elephant, Queen Mahamaya Devi too
dreamed of a white elephant, God Saman riding on a white elephant, are
some of them.
The white elephant that was caught in my photographs was a unique
situation, notwithstanding the fact that the profile seen by anyone from
the sea when looking at the minihagalkanda the view resembles a man and
it has a long history coming down from Ravana's period. Those days the
area had been thickly populated.
I wish and hope that my endeavour of bringing the Yala National Park
which is unique in bio diversity, and historically and geographically
important to the readers, local and foreign, and request to consider
that it is a responsibility and a duty of everybody to nurture it
considering that it is an immeasurably valuable asset that Sri Lanka
owns.
Suriya Kumara Jayalath
Former Educational and Project Officer ,Dept. of Wild Life, Sri
Lanka.
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