Meemure
He
last King of Mahanuwara, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe despatched his two daughters
for safety to a little remote village before enemies captured him. This village
is refreshingly beautiful Meemure, nestling at the foothills of the Lakegala
Peak of the Dumbara range of hills. According to legend the two princesses
committed suicide on hearing of the King's capture and the royal jewellery
which they wore is said to be in the possession of traditional families in the
village.
Another
legend says that Meemure belonged to a veddah named 'Benduruwa' which was taken
away from him by King Vimaladharma and handed over to Herath Hamy whose
descendants are believed to be still living in the village
An
aura of serenity pervaded this quaint little village, the life-style and its
traditional values zealously guarded by its elders from the 'pollution' of
rapid technological developments. Acres and acres of green paddyfields
stretching endlessly, dotted here and there with patches of arecanut trees or
reed-bushes; cattle grazing peacefully in home-gardens; the boundaries of
houses and lands demarcated by stone-ridges with stones piled neatly one on top
of the other; wooden fences leading to large home-gardens with rock stones as
steps to the houses and the Karambaganga Ela gently flowing by marking one
boundary of Meemure.
The
village had produced several professionals including government servants. There
is a 60-year-old uninhabited ancient temple and an ancient Bo-tree in the
village. Elders in the village spoke of how politicians introduced some of the
village people to Cardamom cultivation in the Knuckles range.
The road leading to
Meemure village was earlier a footpath. Now it has been widened, untarred and
motorable - though rugged in certain places. Meemure's community is simple and
unsophisticated village-folk.
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