Mailla caves that time forgot

by Mahil Wijesinghe

The eerily haunting sounds of peacock juxtaposed with those of the laughing thrush fills the morning air as we follow the 10 kilometre long, narrow and near inaccessible jungle track from Kotiyagala to Mailla. The potholes, muddy streams (Aras) and rocky protrusions, makes the journey arduous, compelling us to make frequent stops and at time literally crawl. But getting to the final destination - the Mailla caves- is worth the hiccups and the bother, although getting there also turned out to be another issue when we got hopelessly lost,

The tracks were deserted and there is no one to ask directions from. Wandering around we finally come across a young boy from Kotyiyagala, returning from his Chena, who offers to accompany us to the Mailla caves.

Our team to Mailla cave comprised avid nature enthusiasts and colleagues, Chinthaka, also the designated driver of the 4DR5 Mitsubishi Jeep and Susantha, professional wildlife photographer, and short order cook. Our sons, mine and Chinthaka's, completed our team.

The Mailla caves are located in close proximity to the Lahugala and Yala National Parks, in an area more familiar for wild elephant and bear presence. In 1975 the road to Mailla via Kotiyagala cut across heavily grown jungle, with a significant wild life population. Over the past few decades, chena cultivation and deforestation has completely denuded the forest, exposing the caves to the elements and in the process destroying the priceless artefacts such as paintings and clay statues.

The cluster of rocky boulders, which is Mailla proper, now lies in the middle of an isolated pocket of jungle amidst vast a stretch of maize cultivation. Access to the cave is by foot and it is a long trek, across a sea of Illuk grass, shrub jungles, rock boulders and mud filled streams. Entrance to the Mailla cave complex is through the main cave. Upon entry, we come across some drawings on the rock walls. These are believed to have been drawn by the Veddas, and depict a figure riding an elephant. The main entrance leads to a cluster of caves, some of which are said to have been occupied by Bhikkhus.

After steep 500-meter trek through forest canopy, brings us to an oval shaped rock cave shrine which contains the statue of a reclining Buddha made of brick and clay. Its head, chest and lower section have been hacked, dug out and blasted by treasure hunters, but parts that are intact indicate it had been a pure white statue once upon a time.

According to historical notes, the cave shrine of Mailla evolved into a monastery and was embellished with all the trapping of a prominent Buddhist shrine between 4th and 5th Century AC. The most extraordinary feature of this forgotten place is the fascinating paintings on the ceiling, unsullied, intact and left alone by both man and the elements.

The red and yellow painting covering surfaces made of two to three layers clay plaster mixed with paddy seeds is considered to be some of the oldest paintings in the country. Among the paintings are exquisite floral designs, very different, yet similar what's found in the early paintings Sigiriya paintings. There are also figures of beautiful, bear breasted, bejewelled maidens with flowers in their hands and hair, not unlike the Apsaras of Sigiriya, painted on the ceiling.

The maidens are painted mostly in red and provide a stark contrast to the white background. But providing exquisite companionship to the fair beauties are elephant, oxen, spotted deer, jungle fowl and geese, painted in a style that renders them vivid and near real.

We discover that a place of prominence has been given to the images of elephants in the Mailla Caves. Prominent is the painting of several elephants - one engaged in water sports, another carrying a lotus in its trunk and the third on the verge of escaping... from the scene.

The massive statue of the reclining Buddha was built in the main cave during the 8th Century. A stupa had also been built atop the rock boulder at some point. Like the Mailla Buddha statue, the Stupa too has been destroyed and all that remains today is a flat heap of rubble with weeds and ferns growing in places once enshrined with relics.

Despite the destruction, the Mailla Buddha statue is in better condition today due to a Good Samaritan, who had taken it upon himself to repair and retouch the vandalized statue.

The Mailla Caves is probably one of the ancient art repositories in the country, offering a glimpse of aesthetic creativity of a generation of a bygone era.