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Jungle adventure camping at Hendikema

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4 years ago

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By CG Uragoda

(Continued from last week)

We camped under the trees about 100 yards from the water-hole at Hendikema. We slept in hammocks, while our baggage was stored in a small tent erected by the side. Deer and jungle fowl were occasionally seen from the camp. Thanks to the shooting abilities of my friends, all our meals had a share of venison or jungle fowl. The latter was, incidentally, a tough meat. Jungle fowl were always on the run or flapping in the air, and this constant exercise would make their muscles strong and tough when compared to the domestic birds.

We spent nearly a week at Hendikema, and during this period the only other human beings we saw were a party in a jeep that went past our camp. A short time later, the vehicle returned the same way. The man in the vehicle, who was armed with a gun, was recognized as the Chief Magistrate of Colombo, who was very likely camping off Galge. The absence of any other human beings during the whole week spoke of the utter seclusion of our campsite.

Water supply

It is important that a campsite should have a regular source of water. Our original plan to camp at Veddange Vadiya was partly determined by this requirement. The camp would have been erected by the Menik Ganga, which would have supplied water to the camp, as well as provided facilities for bathing. Another reason was the concentration of animals around the water when they came to drink. Heavy rain, however, had negated this expectation, for plenty of water was now available everywhere and animals would not necessarily come to the river to quench their thirst.

The campsite at Hendikema had access to two sources of water. Water for camp use, such as cooking, drinking and making tea and coffee, came from the small water-hole. It was obtained with the help of the ever-present coconut shell ladle, one shellful at a time. It took a pretty long time for a vessel to be filled. It was not possible to have a bath with such a slow supply of water. Fortunately for campers, there was a large natural water-hole a couple of hundred yards away in the thick jungle, off the Buttala-Kataragama track.

Water was easily accessible at this water-hole, which was situated in a large depression in the rock, bordered by overhanging boulders. Almost daily all of us used to walk there together, with a bucket in hand, and thoroughly enjoy a bath.

There were animal droppings on the rock around the water-hole, indicating that wild beasts, including elephant, bear and leopard, had visited the place. At the height of the drought, when the surrounding jungle was parched and the river was quite a distance away, this site would have provided the last haven for water for miles around.

Leopard

The objective of the entire trip was to shoot a leopard. It was to be achieved by providing bait in the form of a deer’s carcass. HD and the other two members of the party went out during the first two or three days and nights and shot some deer in accordance with the permit issued to them by the Department of Wildlife. It was hoped that these carcasses would attract leopard. The bodies were kept at strategic points, so that any leopard which was feeding on one of them could be shot by a person in hiding at a convenient spot.

Every day the three members of the party, either singly or in combination, and accompanied by the tracker, used to visit each of the carcasses. Only one was partly eaten by a leopard, but sitting over it that evening proved abortive. Ultimately, at the end of the trip they did not get a single leopard, and we made an uneventful return to Colombo.

Subsequent developments

In later years, Kataragama itself and the track to Buttala have undergone intensive changes. The suspension bridge across Menik Ganga at Kataragama was replaced by a permanent bridge. The earlier bridge used to swing to and fro when people walked on it in a similar way to the one across Mahaweli Ganga at the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. At times the footing of the bridge, which was made of wooden planks, had gaps here and there, caused by these pieces falling due to wear and tear over the years.

Now no vehicles are allowed to drive across Menik Ganga at Kataragama. Built-up structures prevent their entry to the banks of the river. Commercial establishments are not allowed on the Uva side of the river where we had our memorable breakfast of hoppers and sambol. Instead, all shops, hotels and the like are situated on the opposite side of the river where there is a vehicle park.

In place of the cart or jeep track, there is now a fine highway from Buttala to Kataragama. This road is broad and well-carpeted, and the entire distance takes only 20 to 30 minutes by car. This is quite a contrast to the condition of the track prevailing at the time of our trip, when we took several hours travelling from Kataragama to Hendikema, a distance of about six miles.

Rediscovery of Hendikema

The new road did not exactly follow the old track we originally took. The two deviated a few hundred yards here and there, but both roads passed through Galge. On traveling along the new road, I tried to locate Hendikema several times for nostalgic reasons. On all these trips, I was accompanied by Dr Walter R Gooneratne, who himself had been to Hendikema in the days gone by. Once we stopped the vehicle and walked into the jungle, but the place eluded us.

In 1996, when we were staying at Dambakotte near Galge, we made another attempt, though trackers of the Department of Wildlife Conservation had not heard of Hendikema. Walter and I again went looking for the place. He identified a turn-off to Muduntalawa, which he remembered was close to Hendikema. He ultimately discovered the place, which was about a hundred yards from the main road. What faced us was a pitiable sight. Treasure hunters had apparently blasted the rock, and the water of the kema, which at the time was shut off from view, was now visible in its entirety. The tiny hole through which water was withdrawn with the help of a coconut shell ladle has been destroyed. There were pieces of blasted rock fallen all over the place.

We later heard that a tracker had discovered a few coins from the site. In fact, we saw a couple of coins at the bottom of the water-hole. These provided a possible explanation for the turn of events that led to the blasting of the rock. Treasure hunters, armed with metal detectors, would have received signals from the coins in the water-hole. Mistakenly thinking that these were emanating from hidden gold, they would have blasted the rock. In retrospect, these coins would have been the thank-offerings of pilgrims who would have quenched their thirst at the water-hole.

I noted the possible location of our old campsite, but we could not find the whereabouts of the other water-hole where we used to bathe. The tracker, who did not know of the existence of the water-hole, feared that bear or elephant might be lurking among the trees if we went in search of it in the thick jungle.

Intermediate Zone

Intermediate Zone was a buffer between cultivated land and National Parks or Strict Natural Reserves. Shooting under permit during the open season was allowed in these areas. Many doubted the advisability of having these zones.

When the issue of licenses to shoot any animal was totally banned since 1964, Intermediate Zones were abolished, and these were annexed to National Parks. The Intermediate Zone around Galge became Block 3 of the Ruhuna National Park.

Hambegamuwa to Kumana

I, along with three others, went by jeep in June 1964 to Karawelgala, which was 10 miles from Hambegamuwa. We turned off at Tanamalwila, and drove along a jeep track, which is a far cry from the road that now runs to Balangoda through Hambegamuwa and Uggal-Kaltota amidst beautiful scenery. Throughout our three-day stay, we were at the Karawelgala school by courtesy of its headmaster.

In 1955, Hambegamuwa became the focus of public attention as a result of large-scale illicit cultivation of ganja in the jungle. The army and the police were employed to carry out ‘Operation Ganja’, which was aimed at destroying plants and suppressing its cultivation. This campaign became a major issue at the 1956 general election, and the newly elected government appointed a commission to investigate it. We did not see any evidence of ganja, but the headmaster told us that the meat he served us was cooked with a touch of ganja in order to soften it.

The school was in the middle of the village, and we were told that a few days earlier a wild elephant raced along the road through the village. Inmates ran helter-skelter into their houses. However, we did not see any elephants during our stay, though we heard loud trumpeting behind the school. We rushed out, flashing our torches, but we failed to see the animal. We were told that such trumpeting was a frequent occurrence.

The next day we visited places of interest in Hambegamuwa where the tank was large and the view enticing. One of the archaeological sites we visited was a complex consisting of three large, naturally occurring water-holes, placed one below the other. They were connected to each other through two openings in between. When it rains, the water that runs along the sloping rocky slab above fills the uppermost tank.

The overflow from it then fills the second, and so on till the third is full. It may be imagined that the monks from the monastery used water from the top tank for drinking and cooking, while that from the lowest tank was employed for washing. In this way the best use of water would have been obtained, for if washing was done in the top tank, its overflow would have contaminated the contents of the two tanks below.


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Features

From stabilisation to transformation without delay

Published

16 hours ago

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2026/05/26

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At a symposium on reconciliation organised by the National Peace Council last week, more than 250 religious clergy, civic activists and political representatives from different communities gathered to discuss the country’s future. Speaking at the event, Minister Bimal Rathnayake explained the government’s approach to national reconciliation. He said the government viewed the country’s recovery in terms of a three stage process. The first stage was stabilisation, the second was development and the third was transformation. Reconciliation, he implied, would come in that final stage. The participation of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa at the same symposium, and the constructive nature of his comments, strengthens that hope.

When the present NPP government took office in 2024, the country was emerging from one of the gravest crises in its post Independence history. The economic collapse of 2022 had led to shortages of fuel, food, medicines and electricity. Inflation soared, foreign reserves disappeared and long queues became part of daily life. The political upheaval that followed culminated in the resignation of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after mass public protests under the banner of the Aragalaya movement. The country was then governed by a leadership that spoke the language of reform and reconciliation but was widely perceived as lacking a direct popular mandate.

Sri Lanka’s past experience suggests that stabilisation and transformation cannot be treated as entirely separate stages. Postponing reconciliation until some future moment risks repeating the failures of the past. If transformation is endlessly delayed until a supposedly perfect moment arrives, there will always be new crises and new reasons for postponement. Minister Rathnayake’s contention that the government’s immediate priority has necessarily been stabilisation flows from the government’s awareness of the precarious situation the country is. Over the past two years, the government has succeeded to a significant extent in restoring economic and political stability. Inflation has reduced, shortages have ended and public institutions have regained a degree of functionality.

Guaranteed Changes

On the other hand, the country’s development continues to face challenges due to adverse global conditions, including disruptions caused by conflict in the Middle East and extreme weather events that have affected tourism, trade and the cost of living. The danger is that reconciliation may be indefinitely postponed in the name of stabilisation. This danger can be reduced if the government works proactively with the opposition and civil society to commence practical measures of transformation now rather than later. The participation of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa at the symposium, and the constructive nature of his comments, has strengthened the sense that bipartisan engagement on reconciliation may now be possible.

The urgency of transformation came through strongly in the presentations made by representatives of the Sri Lanka Tamil and Malaiyaha Tamil communities. ITAK parliamentarian S.Shritharan spoke of the frustration caused by unresolved post war issues in the north and east. He referred to disputes regarding land occupied during the war years, including controversies linked to Buddhist temples and state sponsored settlement activity in areas claimed by local communities. He also pointed to the continuing large scale presence of the security forces in the north and east nearly two decades after the end of the war. These grievances have remained central to Tamil political discourse since the end of the armed conflict in 2009. Families displaced by war continue to seek the return of ancestral lands. Civil society organisations in the north have repeatedly called for greater civilian control over local administration and a reduction in military involvement in civilian life.

Academic research and practical work on the ground have shown that reconciliation cannot be separated from questions of dignity, equality and justice. Former minister Mano Ganesan, leader of the Democratic People’s Front, focused on the longstanding problems faced by the Malaiyaha Tamil community. He spoke passionately about continuing housing shortages, landlessness and economic marginalisation, issues that have persisted since Independence. He also highlighted the devastating impact of recent extreme weather events on estate communities that remain socially and economically vulnerable. The condition of the Malaiyaha Tamil community remains one of the enduring social justice issues in Sri Lanka.

After Independence in 1948, a large proportion of them were denied citizenship and voting rights through legislation that rendered them stateless. Though citizenship rights were eventually restored, the social and economic consequences of exclusion continue to be felt generations later.

Many families still lack secure housing and land ownership despite their immense contribution to the country’s plantation economy. Minister Rathnayake’s responses to both these concerns were politically significant. He argued that recent political developments, including the declining influence of narrow ethnic politics across communities, indicated a major shift in public attitudes. According to him, the political ground has changed in ways that make it increasingly difficult for politicians who rely primarily on ethnic division and communal insecurity to retain public support.

Inter-Connected

There is evidence to support the assessment about the changing political grounding which sees future prospects in the resolution of long standing problems. . The economic collapse of 2022 affected all communities alike and generated a new politics centred on governance, anti corruption, accountability and economic justice. The Aragalaya protests brought together Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims in a common demand for political change. Although ethnic grievances have not disappeared, the crisis created space for a broader understanding that the country’s future depends on cooperation rather than division. Opposition Leader Premadasa’s comments at the symposium reflected this changing political climate. He emphasised that national reconciliation could not be separated from economic justice and the need to address disparities between regions and social classes.v He also mentioned the need for civil society organisations to take this message to the community. This wider understanding of reconciliation is important because ethnic inequality and economic inequality have often reinforced each other in Sri Lanka’s history.

Academic studies have identified the denial of citizenship rights after Independence as a historic injustice that set back the Malaiyaha community for decades. The challenge now is to ensure that transformation becomes part of the stabilisation and development process itself. Practical first steps are both possible and necessary. The release of civilian lands still under state control, greater devolution of administrative authority, reduction of military involvement in civilian affairs, language equality in public administration and accelerated housing and land ownership programmes in the plantation sector are all measures that can begin immediately without waiting for a final stage of transformation.

The government’s recent commitment that provincial council elections will finally be held this year is therefore significant. These elections have been repeatedly postponed by successive governments. Holding them would not solve the ethnic conflict by itself. But it would signal a willingness to restore democratic institutions and share power in a meaningful way.

Sri Lanka has repeatedly postponed difficult reforms in the hope that a more convenient political moment would eventually arrive. But opportunities are invariably created and fought for instead of being provided as a gift by a benevolent government.

The present moment, shaped by the economic crisis and public demand for accountable government, offers a rare opportunity to move simultaneously towards stability, development and reconciliation. Provincial council elections can be the first meaningful step. But they must not be the last.

by Jehan Perera

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Features

Researchers to shape new environmental policy framework

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16 hours ago

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2026/05/26

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Some of the researchers at the meeting

In a significant move aimed at steering Sri Lanka’s environmental governance towards a more science-based and evidence-driven path, the Ministry of Environment has initiated a new collaborative mechanism to integrate leading researchers into national policy formulation and conservation planning.

The initiative was discussed at a high-level meeting chaired by Dr. Dammika Patabendi at the Ministry of Environment on Tuesday, where top environmental scientists, wildlife experts and researchers were invited to contribute towards what officials described as a “strategic transition” in the country’s environmental management framework.

The discussions focused on strengthening the scientific basis of environmental conservation programmes and national policy decisions while creating a more research-friendly environment for academics and field scientists engaged in biodiversity and ecological studies.

Particular attention was paid to long-standing concerns raised by researchers regarding procedural and operational difficulties encountered when conducting studies in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Forest Department.

Minister Patabendi stressed the need for environmental policies to be guided by credible scientific data rather than ad hoc administrative decisions, ministry sources said.

Among the key proposals discussed was the establishment of a streamlined mechanism that would reduce bureaucratic obstacles faced by researchers in obtaining approvals, accessing field sites and sharing scientific findings with state institutions.

The Minister highlighted the importance of building stronger partnerships between policymakers and the scientific community at a time when Sri Lanka is grappling with escalating environmental challenges including deforestation, biodiversity loss, human-elephant conflict, climate-related disasters and ecosystem degradation.

Environmentalists attending the meeting had also highlighted the urgent necessity of incorporating empirical research into national decision-making processes to ensure long-term ecological sustainability and better resource management.

The meeting brought together several of Sri Lanka’s leading environmental researchers and academics including Rohan Pethiyagoda, Saminda Fernando, Sewwandi Jayakody, Samantha Gunasekara, Dinidu Devapura, Himesh Jayasinghe, Manoj Prasanna, Mendis Wickramasinghe and Suranjan Karunarathna.

Director General of Wildlife Conservation Ranjan Marasinghe also participated in the deliberations.

Officials said the proposed framework is expected to pave the way for a more transparent, data-oriented and scientifically credible environmental governance structure capable of addressing emerging conservation challenges more effectively.

The government expects the new mechanism to support the implementation of practical and scientifically robust programmes aimed at safeguarding Sri Lanka’s ecological future while enhancing cooperation between state agencies and the country’s growing community of environmental researchers.

 

By Ifham Nizam

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Features

Back home … for a special occasion

Published

17 hours ago

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2026/05/26

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Seven Notes: Sri Lankans based in Dubai – with Niluk (second from left)

Niluk Uswaththa, of Seven Notes fame, based in Dubai, surprised many when he and his wife Apeksha, turned up in Colombo, last week … unannounced.

Yes, they had a purpose in their surprise visit … to wish Apeksha’s mum for her birthday, which was on Monday, 18th May, and what a surprise it turned out to be!

In an exclusive chit-chat with The Island, Niluk said that the scene in Dubai is improving and Seven Notes do have work coming their way.

Since the members of Seven Notes are all employed (doing day jobs), they operate only on Saturdays and Sundays.

Niluk: Didn’t come prepared to perform, but obliged
friends in Galle

In fact, to get to Colombo for the birthday surprise (on Monday, 18th May), the band had to skip their 17th May, Sunday gig.

“Although it’s a short vacation, my wife and I are enjoying the setup here,” said Niluk, adding that they spent two days in Galle and that their next destination is Anuradhapura.”

Niluk didn’t come prepared to perform, but he obliged the crowd present, at a friend’s birthday celebrations, in Galle, singing and playing guitar.

They are scheduled to leave for their home, in Dubai, in the first week of June.

Seven Notes is an outfit made up of Sri Lankans and the band has been around for almost nine years.

Niluk came into their scene nearly seven years ago.

“When I went to Dubai, I had offers coming my way but it was Seven Notes that impressed me because of their acoustic style.”

The Dubai’s entertainment scene is showing clear signs of bouncing back and even levelling up in the next few months.

Niluk and Apeksha: Enjoying their short vacation

After a slowdown earlier this year due to regional tensions, shows and festivals are back on the calendar, and organisers say late 2026 could be the busiest concert season in years.

Time Out Dubai says “the 2026 concert calendar is filling up nicely” and “the city is ready to party once again” after some reschedules.

Dubai Summer Surprises in July brings retail activations, comedy nights, and indoor art exhibitions.

Organisers point to a backlog of postponed events that are being rescheduled for late 2026 and early 2027.

Yes, Dubai is calm on the surface but on alert. Life is mostly normal in the city, but there’s a “balancing act” as people watch for escalation.

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