The village of Eladatta with many memorabilia belonging to the kingdom of Udara is still an area where the ancient form remains to some extent. Robert Knox, who was a prisoner in Upland, escaped from the country when he was living in Eladatte. Even today, many memorabilia of Knox can be seen in this village.
Location of the village
This village is close to Gampola as well as Kandy and is located next to Udunuwara Daulagala. Ambakke temple as well as the old Eladatta cave are also nearby. The cave is now a hotel. The beautiful fields and streams in the valley between the mountains enhance the beauty of the village.
Robert Knox
We know that an Englishman named Robert Knox was an Englishman who was a prisoner in the Upland Kingdom for 19 years and 6 months during the reign of King Rajasingha II (1634-1686). Knox's book An Historical Relation of the Island of Ceylon, which he wrote about his experiences in prison in Ceylon after he fled to England, has been recognized worldwide as a valuable work on the life of the people of Ceylon in the 17th century.
This book has been translated by David Karunaratne under the title of Heladiva then, and by Premachandra Alvis under the title of Knox Dutu Lakdiva. Knox's and his father's ship was caught in a storm when they came to Kottiaram port to repair it, when they became prisoners of King Rajasingha II. It was on April 4, 1660. Knox was 19 years old at that time.
Along with Robert Knox's father, 18 other sailors have come to Sri Lanka from that ship. These people who are called to the city of Kandy are first imprisoned in a village called Bandarakoswatta, not far from Kurunegala. Knox's father dies of fever.
Upland prisoners
According to the royal order issued by King Rajasingha II, Knox and the others were later called to Kandy and asked if they would like to serve under the king, but no one wanted to. Then they are sent to live in different places and Knox owns Deyala Dhammanu Pattu, not far from Kegalle. He builds a house and lives there and is again ordered to go somewhere around Kandy. That place is Lagumdeniya, not far from Gampola. According to the king's order, the villagers provided food and drink to him and the English prisoners. This is how Knox writes about this lodge:
"We were brought to a mountain called Lagundeniya. I began to live here in one house with my best friend and fellow prisoner, John Loveland. By this time there were only a few of us who were single."
(Eda Heladiva- par. David Karunaratne 323 pita).
Knox mentions that the land is the most barren place he has seen on this island. It had a stony pit with mounded ground. While staying in a hut in Lagumdeniya village, he was collecting money by weaving hats and selling them, and after some time he heard about a piece of land that might be sold. It is in the village called Eladatta, which is a short distance from Lagudeniya. Knox did not show interest in the lodge, so he decides to buy the land in Cowdatta. By then, he had been a prisoner for 6-8 years.
From Lagumdeni to Eladatta
Nox buys the land in Eladatte by paying 25 Laris. This is how he describes it:
This piece of land was extremely successful in my interest. This was a land surrounded by rice paddies on three sides. A paddy field belonging to that land was also at the end of the land. This paddy field, which is near the water, is located on the front side of my land. There were eight coconut trees in this land. There were trees of every type of fruit in the country (Eda Heladiva- Chap. David Karunaratne, p. 326).
Knox, along with four friends, built a nice house on the land he bought in the cowshed. Farming and raising animals are also done. A few years later, his close friend John Loveland dies. After that, two other friends leave Knox to marry Sinhalese women. In the end, only Knox and Stephen Rutland remain in the house. He was also with Knox when he escaped from Sri Lanka.
Land on Poonahala Hill
Legend has it that Robert Knox's land was located on Punahela Kanda Estate, a high ground in the village. The villagers of Eladatta say that the traces of his house on Punahela mountain are still visible today, and there is also a note carved on a stone. This hill is located in front of the village. Today the villagers call the place where Robert Knox's house stood as 'Knox's Fort Wall'.
Robert Knox left the trade and animal husbandry including goat rearing, which he did when he was still young, and later started farming. At the same time, he also started lending eggs which brought more profit. Knox explains that he first started the business with weeds from his field.
The villagers of Eladatta say and the legends say that Robert Knox was very good at farming. It can be seen from the details of his book that this foreigner who wears a saree as a Udarat has taken a strong interest in farming. It is said that the path with fallen stone steps from Punahela Knox's fort was used to go to and from the goat farm he ran.
Knox's field and irrigation canal
The field where Robert Knox farmed can still be seen today in the low ground of Eladatta village. A canal passes through supplying water to these paddies. A wonderful irrigation design can be seen at one place on the canal. The canal runs under the large threshing floor of the paddy as a tunnel canal.
For that, the tunnel has been prepared with large stones leaning on each other like granite stones.
