Hidden treasures of Habassa

Story and pictures by Mahil Wijesinghe

The word 'Habassa' evokes a sense of mystery and anticipation. Maybe it is because we don't hear much about this archaeological site, located in the vicinity of Okkampitiya, at the edge of Yala Block-IV, bordering Kumbukkan Oya and home to Chena cultivations and gem mining.

Wild elephants are something you have to contend with when visiting Habassa. With the endless forest as a backdrop, access is via a road rarely travelled by either pilgrim or tourist. The Habassa archaeological site is some eight kilometres from Okkampitiya. We are accompanied by three villagers from Okkampitiya who are familiar with the area.

They are Dammika Samarakoon, a provincial correspondent of Lake House publications, R.M. Sudu Banda, caretaker of the Habassa archaeological site and K.P. Piyadasa, elderly farmer living in Okkampitiya who knows the movements of wild elephants.

We made our way slowly across the Kubukkan Oya, eyes and ears peeled for any sight or sound of wild elephants. Peacocks constantly voiced their irritation at the approaching vehicle, while the hawk eagle took quick flight.

Overgrown canopy

Sudu Banda takes us to see the recumbent Buddha statue Habassa was famous for once upon a time. It is a quick walk under the overgrown canopy and a half hour's brisk climb to the ruins. Following a narrow winding footpath, we first catch a glimpse of a huge stone foundation, overgrowth with ferns. It is about six feet in height with massive stone slabs erected around it. It is a cave complex. Some sections of the wall have been dug and the stone slabs removed by treasure hunters in search of precious gems.

Venturing further, we come across countless ruins, reminding that this was once a place of great significance. The site is littered drip-ledged natural caves with Brahmin inscriptions and half buried stone pillars. On the summit of the boulder that is Habassa there are hints of a figure of a dancer or perhaps Bahirawaya, moulded in some claylike substance.

Cave complex

We walk past this and come face to face with the main Habassa cave complex. Here, we find several upright stone pillars believed to have been a roof in the past. Inside this long cave is the recumbent Buddha, 25 feet long and heart wrenchingly desecrated by treasure hunters. The head lay smashed to bits, the stomach almost dug out and feet nowhere to be seen. The statue is made of bricks and covered with a few layers of lime plaster, all extensively damaged.

The remains of white lime plastered statue indicate the recumbent statue probably dates back to the 9th Century AD and done in the traditions of the Anuradhapura era. On the rock ceiling above the statue are faded patches of paintings, with the outline faded in many places, and blank spaces at others. The remnants of the paintings depict the figure of Buddha attaining Enlightenment and traces of a Bo tree over his head. Surrounding him are smaller panels with Buddha figures. The remaining paintings indicate that the whole rock ceiling had been covered with murals.

We next visit what appears to be the remains of a crumbling Chaitya - a mound of earth and broken bricks overgrown with scrub - located just five metres beneath the main rock cave. The site has also been vandalised by treasure hunters.

Vandalism

The Habassa archaeological site encompassing 55 acres of land, lies in a pathetic state today, not so much due to neglect as due to vandalism and sheer ignorance of the villagers who live off the jungle. Habassa and the adjoining Kubukkan Oya, which are famous gem areas have become the target of organised groups of treasure hunters and illicit gem miners from nearby villages, who have caused grave destruction to the Habassa ancient site.

Sudu Banda says the destruction of the recumbent Buddha statue of Habassa had taken place after 1989, and that many villagers who lived close by kept away from the site due to armed gangs and LTTE presence in the area.