Nuwara Eliya before British Rule (1815)

The earliest written account on Nuwara Eliya of last few centuries is by Dr.John Davy. In 1819 he had visited Nuwara Eliya during a trekking expedition. The direction he has accessed Nuwara Eliya was from Uva. During that time Nuwara Eliya was uninhabited . The Nuwara Eliya valley was covered with thick forest on slopes and grass patnas in valleys. It only had been a passing visit by him and his party. There had been ruins of earlier irrigation systems and an inscription stone dated back to 900 and 1000 AD stating offerings to a Buddhist vihara had been found. This was later shifted to the premises of Kachcheri of the Nuwara Eliya town. The name Nuwara Eliya has the meaning “ City of Light”. Through out the island’s history, “ Nuwara ” is having a meaning of a Royal Township. Meaning of “Eliya” is not very clear but could have been Patana areas that is found among the highland’s thick forests, that gets full sun shine, thus getting ample “light” or “Eliya”. Few more such names crop up in the vicinity of Nuwara Eliya , that of Sita Eliya , Maha Eliya (Horton Plains) and Handa Eliya, the areas that can be attributed to plains. In 1826, an Elephant hunting party had visited this Nuwara Eliya plains . During those days Nuwara Eliya valley and the hill sides had been frequented by elephants since the undisturbed forest regions were covering much of the highland land area. This episode of the hunting party who had experienced the 36 F° climate and the geological features the area possessed was heard by the then Governor Edward Barnes. He later initiated the roadway to reach Nuwara Eliya passing Ramboda, making Nuwara Eliya accessible to entrepreneurs who gradually converted Nuwara Eliya to a model British village area.

 

Topography and Geographical features of Nuwara Eliya surroundings

Physiographically, Nuwara Eliya is situated in the middle of the country's highest Peneplain , a level land surface that has an advanced stage of erosion. It is a complex of massifs, mountain ranges, plateaus and basins. The Southern border of this peneplain runs about 50 miles from Sri Pada or Adam's Peak ( 7,360 feet) which is on the Western side to Namunukula (6,360 feet) of the Eastern side. From the middle of this Southern border and running towards North is the High Plains that extends between Kirigalpotta (7,875 feet) and Pidurutalagala (8292 feet). It is near this Pidurutalagala mountain,that Nuwara Eliya town (6128 feet) is siuated.The scenic grasslands of Horton Plains, Moon Plains, Kandepola-Sita Eliya Plains and Elk plains all are situated in this altitude range of 6000 to 7000 feet , few tens of kilometers away from Nuwara Eliya.

The highlands of Sri Lanka can be considered as a great upheaval of land mass having an area of about 4000 sq. miles. From the base of this massive upheaval, rises four extensive ledges. They consists of mountains of different elevations between 5000-8000 feet above sea level. Pidurutalagala , which is the highest peak among these is 8280 feet high. It is positioned about 3 miles North East of Nuwara Eliya town.The plain which Nuwara Eliya is situated is upwards of 6000 ft above sea level . This plain is about 6 miles in length and 1 ½ miles in breadth. The circumference of this area is considered to be around 15 miles. In around 1833, before any plantations took place, the whole plain was divided into two parts with a thick stripe of jungle appearing in the middle. This plain was surrounded by steep rocky mountains , covered by thick forest from the level of the plain upto the top of those steep and irregular heighted mountains. The temperature of Nuwara Eliya never approaches the Tropical heat but can touch low temperatures that make ice flakes on grass patna in early mornings. There are four gaps accessing the Nuwara Eliya plains through surrounding hills. The gap at North-East leads to Kotmale valley, the South-East gap leads to Uva basin, the West gap to the Dimbula valley and the East gap to Kandapola and Udapussellawa. Some other important mountains and places around Nuwara Eliya are Kikilimana (7345 feet, 1 mile NW of Nuwara Eliya ), Kudugala (7607 feet), Totupola (7746 feet), Kirigalpotta (7832 feet), Lover’s Leap (7098 feet, 2 miles E of Nuwara Eliya ) and One Tree Hill (6903 feet, 1 mile S of Nuwara Eliya )

Earliest History on Nuwara Eliya

Historically, this mountainous region was called as " Malaya Rata". It enveloped the present day Kothmale Valley, Hewaheta, Nuwara Eliya and Walapane. In the 2nd Century BC, Prince Dutugemunu lived in Kothmale in disguise due to a dispute with his father who was the King of Magama. After the death of his father , he became the King of Magampura and later became the King of the unified Sri Lanka. Traces of mining for Gems and Iron ore had been found on hill sides of Nuwara Eliya. Mr. Henry Cave states ( in 1900) that several ancient moonstones were found at "Moon Plains" area. Also there are remains of ancient irrigation systems "which must have involved immense labour and great engineering skill " he states. Sir Samuel Baker (around 1848) was of the opinion that the ancient importance of this area was due to the origination of the water source for the rivers of the country. The rivers that were flowing through the low country of Anuradhapura area were supplying many man made tanks (wewa) with water for rice cultivation about two thousand years back. Ruins of masonary had been found at angles of ravines to protect the waterway banks. Most of these waterways were dry and overgrown with forest during his observations.It is believed that the area was inhabitant in the past corresponding to above times.

English writers on Nuwara Eliya

Henry W. Cave, a well known British author who has written many books on Ceylon* has paid a lavish tribute to Nuwara Eliya as follows in his book " Golden Tips - A Description of Ceylon and its great Tea industry" - ( year of publication- 1900 ).

"Seven thousand miles from London, six degrees from the equator and 6,200 feet above sea, lies this unique retreat, whose precious attributes, not long ago inaccessible, are fast becoming familiar to thousands, and specially to the ever increasing army of wanderers who flee from the rigours of the European winter.

Egypt has its healing climate, the Engadine its lovely scenery, Brazil its wooded wilderness, the Alps their flowery meadows, and Peru its high plateau; but here, in one of our own colonies, easy of access and free from any serious drawback, are all these and a hundred other attractions, forming a combination of the most delightful conditions under which man can desire to live"

Henry W. Cave compares the landscape and the climate of Nuwara Eliya to that of West Highlands of Scotland. Additionally it is said to posses the purest and most invigorating air with a temperature that is most suited to the health of Europeans. He also says that if one chooses, he is able to leave the moist atmosphere and the rain clouded sky by an hours drive to reach the sunny plains and the dry hills.

 

What Mr. Cave has penned more than a century back may now not be there as the whole world has been changed immensely during the past 110 years but even the present day traveller is able to have at least a glimpse or more than what Mr. Cave has experienced then. What he came across was the pristine ecology Sri Lanka had at that time, which was undisturbed for many centuries. We are fortunate to have many conservation areas protecting the ecology of the area such as Horton Plains and many more. What we experience today may not be there in another 100 years time. Writings on Nuwara Eliya and surroundings by those prominent authors such as Henry Cave, Dr. John Davy , Sir Samuel Baker and W.T.Kebly proves this without much doubt since what they saw then is no more there now.

 

Hakgalla Gardens

The South East Gap of Nuwara Eliya that leads to Uva, directs to the base of this magnificent mountain of Hakgalla. It is a gorge or a narrow pass found at the foot of this mountain that the roadway is made to Uva. There is a deep descend of five miles to Hakgalla along the motorway. The Hakgalla Garden is at an elevation of 5400 feet above sea level. The mighty Hakgala mountain towers further 1600 feet above Hakgalla Garden. It was established in 1861 as an experimental cultivation area and was transformed into a Botanical Garden in 1884. It has an excellent scenic beauty not to be found elsewhere in the country's Botanical Gardens. It has retained many natural features such as creeks and pools, streams coming from the mountain peaks, natural trees and ferns. Additionally there are native furns, trees of different foliage, Orchids and many varieties of Roses.

Sir Samuel Baker, the Hunter, Explorer and the Entrepreneur

Sir Samuel Baker is being identified as the Pioneer of making Nuwara Eliya a model English Town. In the earlier days for about a year he was mainly involved in shooting in lowlands. There he contacted jungle fever and was sent to highlands of Nuwara Eliya by his physician. He was recovered beyond expectations and he credited his recovery to the extraordinary climatic conditions of Nuwara Eliya. It is said that the mountain air and the nature of the area vitalizes the body and the mental healthiness. At that time Nuwara Eliya was a remote area only with a poor conditioned solitary rest house in the area where he was lodged during his illness. He desired the area to be developed to a model English village and started to implement his idea. He got a ship charted and brought down a bailiff with his wife and daughter and nine others with all types of farming equipment available in England at that time, Saw mills, seeds of numerous types, a bull, a horse, fox hounds and a greyhound also were among the cargo. During the Eight years he lived in Nuwara Eliya before going back to lead another expedition up in the river Nile, he expanded the business of farming to greater heights. He is also regarded as a great game hunter at those days and the British were much taken up on to it as a sport. He identified Mahagastota, a place few miles from Nuwara Eliya to be his farm village suitable for cultivation after having a thorough survey of the Nuwara Eliya and its surroundings. He has made use of a cultivator connected with a harrow, drawn by a tamed elephant to plough through the Moon Plains and to cultivate wheat, oat and barley. He had supplied barley produced from his crop to the Brewery nearby and there had been an Elephant Stable also in his farm. He spent his life at Baker’s Farm from 1848 to 1855.

 

Nuwara Eliya Historical Map showing British time landmarks

You can find Pidurutalagala Mountain, Kikilimana mountain, Mandaram Nuwara, One Tree Hill,Race Course, Grand Hotel, Gregory Lake, Lover's Leap Waterfall, Baker's Farm and Moon Plains etc.

 

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Reference

P.G.Cooray-" An Introduction to The Geology of Sri Lanka"-

Henry W. Cave - " Golden Tips - A Description of Ceylon and its great Tea industry"-

W. T. Keble - " Ceylon Beaten Track"

 

Sri Lanka's highest mountain Pidurutalagala with a height of 2,527 m (8,292 ft)

- P.G.Cooray-" An Introduction to The Geology of Sri Lanka"- pp-55

 

 

*( During the British Colonial era, Sri Lanka was called as Ceylon)