Ankelipitiya,Ratemulla, Etulgama,Gurudeniya and Thalatuoya

 Ankelipitiya,Ratemulla, Etulgama,Gurudeniya and Thalatuoya

What is stated by me are circumstantial evidences related to naming of villages in Kandy where pitch battles occurred during British time. I have started with the tug of war which may have been to make locals soldiers battle ready. 

I think instead of regurgitating the old tales worth it is while to study of the layout of the land and the relative movement of people away from the Church and British Control is wanting.

I have given my opinion having walked these places by foot as a school child. 

Ampitiya guys are famous for marathon running and hill climbing.

I of course was a short distance runner but could walk miles and miles without breaking down and with little food.

Ankelipitiya near Etulgama

This is where the Thalatuoya stream that flows to Mahaveli River at Gurudeniya starts.

It is at least 5 miles off from Ampitiya, Seminary on a hill.

It is a hill where place where Ankelipitiya is located in Etulgama.

When the original Ankelipitiya was taken over by the Church they would have moved in. Etulgama means inner village and it is also a hill with forest on a side. Major branch of the Thalatuoya begin here.

I think it is the Ankelipitiya that became corrupted to Ampitiya.

Am has no meaning.

An means horns

Keliya means gaming

Pitiya means plane or ground

It sounds reasonable and I have no direct records to prove or disprove this opinion.

I tend to believe Udagama, Pallegama, Maddegama were not real villages names but later adaptation or the original names.

The villages around the  hutch were deserted by people and British had to bring people from elsewhere.

Both my mother parents and my father came from Matale.

The third mile post had the most diverse community. The road by the side of Thaltuoya was ready access to Lewalla where blood bath and bloody war ensured when British soldiers tried to cross the river to Mada Maha Nuwara where King was hiding. It would have been the work of the British.

Besides, their was underground access to Haragama and Gurudenia. When British soldiers reached this underground road it was flooded killing everybody. They probably had to make a new road along the footpaths to Thalatuoya village.

Ketawala, Lewla, Marassana and Mylapitiya had fertile land and they moved to an alternative hill side in Mylapitiya where connection to Hewahata where service clans of various types were residing.

We cannot make concrete assumptions since British distorted the facts and created their own history of Kandy.

All the official residences of Nilmes were located where Boganbara prison stands.

Nuwara Wela was flattened to make way for railway.

People moved away from the Church and British with the influence of the Church brought in civilians for their work from other places.

People in Kandy did not starve and even today most of the produce come to Kandy from Marassana and Mylapitiya.

 

Mylapitiya

Myla probably meaning miles away.

Myla comes from Miles in English.

It was not as short as the British Mile but much longer. 

When I suggest the meaning for Marassana one might get some idea.

Pitiya means a hill in this instance.

 Mylapitiya probably meaning miles away from the Church and the British.

 

Marassana

 

Mara means death.

It really or probably means, killing fields. 

Or where butchering of captured victim.

Asana probably means how the dead were laid.

Who did it I won't guess

? Local soldiers

?British soldiers 

 

If the British soldiers came this far they would not return.

Mylapitiya was the furthers fertile land.

Leave us alone and you go back to your cities.

 

Ketawala

Probably means stones that were used to tie to the bodies to be dumped to the river.

Closed village to Ampitiya.

 

Lewla

Leewala means bloody pools.

Next in line to Marassana from Ampitiya.

Thalatuoya

Is the river it has two branches one starting from Ethulgama.

May have been lined with Palmyra trees from which leaves were taken for curing WataPathas or the fan used by monks.

Kirimatiya

Has local meaning

Etulgama

Has local meaning

Accessibly but not safe enough.

Probably a station to watch Britissh soldiers moving towards  Gurudeniya.

 

Galaha

May be related to exposed big boulders down the river.

 

Deltota 

Means places where they crossed.

 

Hindagala

Mahakanda

Galoya

Doluwa

Hindagala 

Mahakanda

Haloya

Wariyagala

Nilambe

Galaha

Deltota

Kandy 

Thalatuoya

Deltota.

 

 

Sirimalwatta

Yatawara