This image of Queen Venkata Rangammal wearing a necklace of two shells (Image 1) was painted by William Daniel 220 years ago in 1800, according to The Oriental Annual of Sceneries India published in 1834. (84 - 85 p) It is said that on the last day of her visit to the Vellore beach, she wore the two shells as a souvenir on the day before coming to Sri Lanka, and when she came to Sri Lanka the next day, she brought them and attached them to a necklace. The mountain range seen in the background of this painting is said to be the Hantana mountain range overlooking the sea of milk. On the left is a picture of the Milky Way Lake by the British Captain O'Brien around 1854.
It is indisputable that the town of Senkadagala looks beautiful even today because of the Sri Dalada temple and the milky lake in front of it. The city of Sengkadagala, surrounded by beautiful blue mountains, still flourishes today, showing its past glory. According to the legendary information, this lake of milk was formed during the reign of Sri Vikrama Rajasingha by reclamation of Tigolawela (field) located between Sri Dalada Madura and Malwatu Maha Vihara. It is said that during the Kandy kingdom, the monks of Malwatu Maha Vihara traveled to Dalada Madura along this stretch of Tigolawela. But aside from Tigolawela, there are a number of secret and sad events behind the story of making the Kiri Sea Lake.
Tigolawela was a fertile rice paddy for the whole town. Legend has it that not only the people of Senkadagalapura, but also the Adikarams, Nilames, and monks of the Rajavasala opposed the construction of a lake in that paddy field.
At that time there was a lake in Bogambara area. Even though the Adikarams explained to the king that there is no need to build another tank in front of Dalada Madura with such a tank, there was no change in the king's decision. The king's decision was final. Due to this, the Nilames were silent.
Due to the construction of the lake, the milk turtles that lived at the edge of the lake as well as thousands of animals that spent their lives in the area lost their habitats. Near the current Swiss Hotel, there was a Meegon Aramba. It was here that the bulls who worked in the wela lived freely. They lost it.
During the demarcation of the lake with Devendra Moolachari, who commissioned the construction of the lake, an ancient bodhi belonging to the Malwathu Vihara and a well where the monks bathed were attached to the lake and the borders were marked.
However, there is also a legend that Devendra Mulachari died mysteriously. One of the legends says that due to some incident, the King of Urana cut Devendra Moolachari's finger as a punishment and he jumped into the lake and committed suicide. It remains a mystery to this day.
It is said that when the people started digging the lake according to the king's orders, the Malwatu chief minister went there and instructed them to stop the work on the lake. Accordingly, it is said that the people left the tank work, ignoring the king's order and obeying the order of the chief minister. It is also said that the people who disobeyed the king's orders were later killed with spikes.
For the second time, the king started digging the lake by employing men. At that time too, the Mahanahimi had said that the people who work here are not considered Buddhists, and after the death of their families, they will not pay any money even to the Pansakula. At that time, people left the work of digging the lake, obeying the order of the presbyter.
After the people disobeyed the king's order for the second time, King Sri Vikrama Rajasingha went to visit the Malwatu Mahanahimi. After the king promised the nobles that he would protect the Bodhi and the well under the lake, the work of building the lake started again. The Mahanahimi have acted in this way against the destruction of the paddy field that cut down the trees, changed the environment and left the animals stranded, and quenched the hunger of thousands of people.
Henry Charles, an Englishman, has mentioned that during the construction of the lake, many people died due to the extreme cold of the mud and the germs in the mud water.
However, why did the king take a firm decision to build a lake like an ocean permanently at a time when the British were looking to swallow up the upland kingdom, as well as these various troubles, obstacles, and harassments?
According to one legend, King Sri Vikrama Rajasingha built the lake of milk in Senkadagala town to fulfill the wish of his consort Venkata Rangammal. The king had four queens. Randolia was Venkata Rangammaly, a daughter of Gampola Sami. Her sister Venkata Jammal was the silver doli. In 1812, Degal Sami's daughters Venkata Ammal and Mutthu Kannamma were the other queens.
Among these, Venkata Rangammal, the king's chief minister, came to this country from Madras, India. She loved going to the beach often while in Madras. According to the request of her father, Gampola Sami, she went to the beach in the evening before coming to Sri Lanka, and she picked up some shells as a souvenir and brought them with her when she came to Sri Lanka.
In addition to the gold, silver, and necklaces worn in this country, Queen Rangammal made a necklace out of two seashells brought from the shores of Madras. She can be seen wearing it in a painting done about 220 years ago. The painting is published herewith.
It is said that she requested the king to make a big lake that looked like an ocean because she was very fond of the beach and she did not get a chance to go out of the palace after coming to this country. King Sri Vikrama Rajasingha may have promised to make such for her.
No matter how many obstacles are thrown at the king, all those challenges are aside