Things to Do in Meemure

Meemure is a remote village in Sri Lanka's Central Province, hidden among the mountains 324 meters above sea level. The only way to get there is via the ‘Hunnasgiriya' mountain, which is part of the Knuckles range and is about 50 kilometers from Kandy. The 33-kilometer trail from Hunnasgiriya to Meemure is difficult, with many tricky spots, but the scenery is spectacular. The village itself receives an abundance of water in the form of waterfalls that originate in the Knuckles' evergreen forests. The pyramid-shaped Lakegala mountain lies east of the village, while the picturesque Knuckles range dominates the west. Meemure is bounded on the north by a forest that runs to the 'Pitawala Pathana' grassland, and on the south by the Heen River.

Until 2004, pack-bulls were the only mode of transportation to Meemure. Cattle herds carried sacks of goods and equipment to the village. The pack-bulls were only used to transport salt, cloths, tobacco, and calcium bicarbonate because the village was so fertile and prosperous. However, with the advent of modern technology, the trails have been widened to accommodate three-wheelers, jeeps, and small trucks.

Folklore and History

Meemure was named after the 'Mee' trees (as the villagers called them) that surrounded the area.

According to folklore, the village dates back nearly 5000 years. Lakegala, to the east, is thought to be the home of the legendary King Ravana from the Indian literary epic Ramayana. According to legend, Ravana used Lakegala as a power source, and there was a tunnel through Lakegala during the Ramayana. It is said that the tunnel was sealed after the Ramayana war with Ravana's corpse placed within it.

Another story claims that it dates back to 700 B.C., during the reign of King Vijaya, who is thought to be the forefather of Sri Lanka's current population. Vijaya and his followers arrived on the island from India and saw the shapely primitive woman Kuweni. He was overcome by lust and adopted Kuweni as his unofficial wife. Vijaya banished Kuweni from his castle after she bore him two children and he formally married an Indian royal princess. As a result, Kuweni was forced to relocate to the forest with her children. It is believed that they lived in the forest near Meemure and that the indigenous people of Sri Lanka descended from Kuweni's two children. The indigenous people of modern Sri Lanka, who live just 60 kilometers from Meemure in Mahiyanganaya, appear to validate this belief.

Portugal invaded Sri Lanka in the 16th century AD. The invasions continued throughout the centuries as the Dutch and English conquered the country. According to legend, the people of Meemure supplied saltpeter (potassium nitrate) for the Kandyan kingdom's resistance efforts. The cave where the saltpeter (niter) was mined still exists today.

During the same period, King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe is said to have banished his daughter to the village of Meemure with a group of men, one of whom he suspected was having an affair with his daughter. This supports the claim that Meemure existed at the time.