Vishan Jayasinghearachchi's Personal Blog

It is nighttime.  A young, recently married woman is seated in a small mud hut with a thatched roof, in the middle of nowhere in the ancient jungles of the East. The period as we know it would be the early twentieth century. But it could be the late fifteenth century as well, as such dates are of little significance to her. It is as if time has stood still on her land since time immemorial. This is how life has always been there for centuries. The moon shines in the sky, casting its soft glow on the dark jungles below, which surround her little abode. Owls hoot, crickets chirp and elephants break branches in the surrounding forests, sending out the only signs of life in the jungle. But she is all alone, with no other person in sight.  A small Kerosene lamp burning dimly in the corner is the only light, with the stars there to keep her company. A cold breeze is blowing from the direction of the ancient weva (water reservoir) situated nearby, which is the only sign that this par...

Hennannegala: The imposing rocky outcrop. 03/12/2021 Mahaoya, Ampara, Sri Lanka. The mere name ‘Mahaoya’ itself conjures up romantic images of lush dry zone jungles teaming with elephants, scorching sun, tales of Veddas and ancient ruins lying abandoned in the jungles forlornly as if to remind the traveller of the once prosperous past of this ancient land. Hennannegala is one such place which fits well with the description above. Hennannegala is a massive rock situated about ten kilometres from Maha Oya on the Maha Oya-Aralaganwila Road (B502) inside the Maduru Oya National Park. Underneath this rock, along a long cave (claimed to be one of the longest in the country) lies an ancient temple dated to the first century B.C.  The temple is divided into roughly three sections. Upper Vihara Lower Vihara The Rock top The Upper Vihara consists of an ancient stupa of red brick placed amidst a Weli M aluwa (sand pavilion), which had been recently renovated by the Department of Archaeology, ...