Meemure

Description

Meemure village is a secluded and pristine village in the Hill Country, Central Province of Sri Lanka. To the east of the village, you'll find the pyramid-shaped Lakegala Mountain, while the scenic Knuckles range borders the west. In Meemure village, the northern boundary is a forest adjacent to the 'Pita Wala Pathana' grassland, while the Heen River surrounds the south. The village of Meemure offers stunning natural pools and waterfalls, breathtaking mountain vistas, and lush green paddy fields.
Access to Meemure village is only possible through the 'Hunnasgiriya' mountain, which is located in the Knuckles range. It is situated around 50km away from Kandy. The trail is challenging, but the views are amazing.

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The settlement in Meemure Village is one of its defining characteristics. In Meemure village, the villagers have constructed eco-friendly houses using clay and illuk (spear grass) for over three decades. Their buildings in Meemure village have quartz boundary walls, their most distinctive feature.

Until the Forest Preservation Act outlawed it in 1982, Meemure villagers relied on cardamom cultivation as a source of income. They started cultivating chena, maise, and pepper. Some villagers in Meemure earn a living by tending to jaggery palms, which produce toddy and treacle.

The village has around 400 residents and 125 households. In Meemure village, there is only a tiny store where residents can buy essential items like sugar and salt. Additionally, there is no cable telephone or mobile network signal available.

Meemure village has a rich history spanning almost 5,000 years. Local lore claims that the legendary King Ravana from the Indian literary epic Ramayana once owned Lakegala, located east of the village. Ravana allegedly utilised Lakegala as a source of power. During the Ramayana era, a tunnel through Lakegala was sealed after the Ramayana battle with Ravana's corpse inside.

In 700 B.C., King Vijaya and his retainers arrived on the island from India. They came across the primitive lady Kuweni, known for her beauty. He selected Kuweni as his unofficial spouse, and they had two children. Vijaya expelled her from his castle when he married an Indian regal princess. Kuweni had to bring her children into the forest, where Meemure is situated. It is believed that Sri Lanka's indigenous people are descended from her two children.

Meemure village was essential in providing saltpetre (potassium nitrate) for the gunpowder the Kandyan kingdom used in their resistance efforts in the 16th century A.D. The cave where saltpetre was extracted still exists today.

Meemure village is rich in biological diversity. The Heen River flows through a section of the village, spanning 700 acres. In Meemure village, I had the opportunity to explore the Knuckles, a network of tributaries. These waterways are inhabited by over 25 freshwater fish species, including eight endemic and seven nationally threatened species. The vegetation in the Knuckles region consists of lowland semi-evergreen forests and Montana forests.

Over 130 bird species have been observed in the area, including 10 migratory and 20 endangered species. In the open, I attended twelve out of the twenty species of amphibians. These species are endemic to the area and are considered nationally endangered.

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