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Trip Reports Archive » By Length » Longer than 3 » Following the path of the Malagirawa – මාලගිරවා සමග චාරිකාවක…

Following the path of the Malagirawa – මාලගිරවා සමග චාරිකාවක…

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Tags & Author Archive

Awissawella, Berendi Kovila, Danagiri Gala, Devanagala, Divaguhawa, Hemmathagama, Kalotuwa Kanda, Kuruwita, Mawanella, Mediliya, Mediliya Rajamaha Viharaya, Naipena gala, Pathangoda, Ratnapura, Salawa, Salawa Rajamaha Viharaya, Saman Devalaya, Longer than 3, August, Wet Zone, Culture, History, 2010, Trekking

Author: NG (9 Trips)

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Year and Month 2010 August and some places before that
Number of Days Mostly one day trips, some two nights
Crew
Most often 3 adults between 35 and 45 left Colombo but more joined on the way.
Accommodation Homes of friends
Transport Land rover (…for us, and wings for the malagirawa!)
Activities 🙂 Exploring? And in this trip report trying out a new (old?) form of guide book?
Weather Various, its all in Sabaragamuwa
Route Colombo –> Mawanella –> Hemmathagama –> Salawa –> MadiliyaColombo –> Kuruvita –> Ratnapura

(as this report is a combination of trips, this route is not very accurate)

Tips, Notes and Special remark
  • As you may have figured out by now, this is not a single trip. More accurately it is a combination of trips to see if the සන්දේශ කාව්ය ( Sandesha Kavya) can be used as a guide book.
  • Would love to hear from anyone who has done this with any of the other kavya.
Related Resources Related Discussion: Walking the old Kandy Kataragama route (Following ancient palm leaf manuscripts)
Author NG
Comments Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread

  • Following the path of the Malagirawa – මාලගිරවා සමග චාරිකාවක…

It was a discussion on Lakdasun that made me think what great potential our Sandesha Kavya has to act as guide books (Topic: Walking the old Kandy Kataragama route (Following ancient palm leaf manuscripts). I managed to find a small book that gave me a summary of all the routes in the මග සලකුණු (land marks along the route) sections of the 8 main sandeshayas. But when I tried to get the details from the original poems…the language was just too hard! I definitely needed to find someone (in real life or in the virtual world of Lakdasun!!) whose classical/literary Sinhala is much better than mine…so the project was put on hold for the moment.

But then, I got unexpectedly lucky! We went to visit friends in the Hemmathagama area with the intention of climbing Rahalgala. It poured with rain and that plan was washed away. In the idle time, our friend’s mother gave us a book she (Kamala Somaweera) had just published – මාලගිරා සංදේශය (Malagira Sandeshaya), thankfully written in 21st century literary Sinhala!

We have not quite managed all the places the Malagirava travelled to, but since we hardly ever visit every place named in a guide book, I decided to do a ‘work-in-progress’ trip report.

God Saman from mural inside the Viharaya

God Saman from mural inside the Viharaya at Madiliya where the Malagirawa receives instructions on the route and landmarks for his journey from Madiliya to Ratnapura Maha Saman Devalaya, where he is entrusted to deliver the message to God

Madilya village, Kalotuwa Kanda (verse 14) from the Ambalama in front of the Viharaya

Madilya village, Kalotuwa Kanda (verse 14) from the Ambalama in front of the Viharaya

Madiliya Rajamaha Viharaya, Tampita Budu Geya

Madiliya Rajamaha Viharaya, Tampita Budu Geya

Salawa Raja Maha Viharaya

Salawa Raja Maha Viharaya

Naipena gala, Madiliya village

Naipena gala, Madiliya village

නයිපෙණ ගල අසල….

නයිපෙණ ගල අසල….

Devanagala:  the tiny white dagaba on a rounded rock deep in the valley you see from Kadugannawa

Devanagala: the tiny white dagaba on a rounded rock deep in the valley you see from Kadugannawa

Devanagala

Devanagala

Inscriptions

Inscriptions (Verse 39) – Click image to enlarge

Paddy fields

Paddy fields (Verse 40)

Danagiri gala: Stairs that lead to the len viharaya

Danagiri gala: Stairs that lead to the len viharaya

Danagiri gala: a playground in the sky…

Danagiri gala: a playground in the sky…

There are lots of waterfalls that the Malagirawa is advised to fly over or rest by. The Kavya is filled with the beauty of nature in Sabaragamuwa.

There are lots of waterfalls that the Malagirawa is advised to fly over or rest by. The Kavya is filled with the beauty of nature in Sabaragamuwa.

The Kavya is filled with the beauty of nature in Sabaragamuwa.

The Kavya is filled with the beauty of nature in Sabaragamuwa.

Pathangoda: Historical, yes..and there might be a biodiversity interst? No idea if this particular veriety (not in photos!) is common

Pathangoda: Historical, yes..and there might be a biodiversity interst? (Click image to enlarge)

No idea if this particular veriety (not in photos!) is common

No idea if this particular veriety (not in photos!) is common

Bairande Kovila  If you look carefully there are all sorts of  animals carved in the stone, in addition to the famous parrots.

Bairande Kovila If you look carefully there are all sorts of animals carved in the stone, in addition to the famous parrots.

Bairande Kovila

Maduka Vila

Maduka Vila (Verse 206)

Divaguhawa

Divaguhawa (verse 208)

Batathota Lena,  generally believed to be Divaguhawa

Batathota Lena, generally believed to be Divaguhawa

And finally, the destination:   Maha Saman Devalaya, Ratnapura

And finally, the destination: Maha Saman Devalaya, Ratnapura

Maha Saman Devalaya, Ratnapura

…and the message entrusted to the malagirawa to be delivered safely to God Saman:

…and the message entrusted to the malagirawa to be delivered safely to God Saman:

Tucked away in a crevice of the main wall of the Maha Saman Devale is a stone carving of a dark period in our history, in contrast to the events that generated the message carried by the Malagirawa.

Tucked away in a crevice of the main wall of the Maha Saman Devale is a stone carving of a dark period in our history, in contrast to the events that generated the message carried by the Malagirawa.

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