After fifty years....

Nostalgic memories of a surveyor:

By Lionel Siriwardana

I am encouraged to write a few liens regarding the strenuous life we spent when I heard over the radio that Medirigiriya now has a school, a police station, a post office and other Government institutions and is represented in Parliament.

It was in 1957 that we were sent to engage on Kavudulla Extension Engineering Surveys.

Eight of us surveyors were detailed to attend to this work. There were no houses and the whole area was in jungle land. We were provided with tents and my camp was sited in close proximity to Medirigiriya Watadage.

In those days transport facilities were poor. Very often we were forced to walk a distance of about 8-12 miles to visit the nearest town, Hingurakgoda.

During weekends and occasionally on weekdays, pilgrims visit Medirigiriya and if you are lucky you will be able to travel to Medirigiriya or Hingurakgoda as the case may be. The road to Medirigiriya was a gravel one. As you travel from Hingurakgoda, you will have to pass two hamlets, Kaudulla and Diwulankadawala. The latter was a small village with a few families scattered. They were engaged on agriculture and cattle farming.

The entire area beyond Diwulankadawala to Medirigiriya was covered by thick jungle infested with wild animals such as the elephant, wild buffaloes, bear etc.

There was the archaeological overseers quarters near by a well for drinking water and a pond for bathing. My camp was sited in the vicinity.

The duration of our stay was for about 9 to 10 months. Provisions had to be transported from Hingurakgoda weekly either by bullockcart or by some other means depending on the availability of transport.

The technical part of the work assigned to us was the preparation of a plan showing the topographical features and a contour plan of the area which included surveying and levelling required for designing of channels, roads, housing projects and land set out for cultivation.

The work inside the jungle was fascinating, but dangerous at times. To commence this work, the survey assistants and I had to walk within the jungle, a distance of about 1/2 - 1 1/2 miles either along the traces of the paths used by animals or along survey lines cleared in advance. When we walk inside the jungle we come across open patches of jungle where we meet wild elephants, bear, wild buffaloes, jackals etc. Sometimes, these animals walk along our survey lines and obstruct our work.

Besides these difficulties we made every endeavour to complete the work whitin the estimated time. Any delay would have dragged us to work in the rainy season where I was no exception for I had to work for a few weeks during the rainy season.

Then we had to walk along the tank bunds trampled by cattle and along paths covered by water, and streams with knee-deep of water.

Even when I returned after work the life inside the tent was not happy for during daytime, there will be flies and if it is dark you are surrounded by mosquitoes and in addition I noticed that a few ticks were sucking blood from my toes.Although we had to undergo these difficulties, life inside the camps was not dull always for there were get-together parties held during weekend, the participants being surveyors, and their families held in a central camp. The sports activities included softball cricket matches and tennis and indoor games such as carrom, darts and various other games. Very often these parties went on with melodies songs till midnight.

On completion of this work some of us were sent to attend to the work on Mahaweli Ganga Project and we had to lay out the main canal trace from Primrose Hill (Kandy) to Lenadora (Dambulla).

It has to be stressed in this type of work we received the co-operation from those whom it was due and we are thankful to them.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to travel in those areas. I was happy when I saw that the cadjan structures on either side of the road are now replaced with tiled masonry houses and many of the gravel roads are now tarred roads. It is a pity that some of those who participated in these projects have passed away.

We wish them happiness in their long life of Samsara!