Mawanella

History

Mawanella is historically famous for Uthuwan Kande Soora Saradiel - a native who fought against British colonialism. He is known as the Robin Hood of Ceylon/ Sri Lanka as he looted the wealth from British officers and their local counterparts only to distribute it among the poor villagers. Deekirikewagela Saradiel was born in 1832 to his father Deekirikewage Adasi Appu - a bullocart driver and Molligoda Pichohami - a small coffee shop owner. The natives were under heavy economical and political pressure from unfair taxes under British rule and were rebelling against as best way they could. Saradiel was accompanied by fellow natives namely Mammale Marikkar, Baya, Hawadiya, Samat etc. In order to evade his arrest, Saradiel, decided not to remain in one single place permanently, for the sake of his own safety. While he was thus taking refuge in the homes of his friends, on March 17, 1864, a police team under the command of Head Constable Amath surrounded the house where Saradiel had been hiding, with the help of some of the residents of that area who had given them the tip-off, which resulted in the death on the spot of George Van Haught, a member of the police search party, due to a gunshot wound. Also, while Muttusamy and Christian Appu, two of his other accomplices received grievous injuries and two others were slightly injured, while they were thus engaged in the fracas, Saradiel and Mammale Marikkar succeeded in escaping. Subsequently, the Police team including Police Sergeant Mahath and Police Constable Sabab, set out on March 21, 1864, to arrest Saradiel on the information given by the informant, one Sirimala. Based on this information, when the Police team surrounded the house belonging to Abdul Cader of Mawenelle searching for Saradiel, he attempted to shoot…

Most-observed species

• Red-vented Bulbul

  Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  698
• Common Myna

  Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  675
• Spotted Dove

  Spilopelia chinensis (Scopoli, 1786) · Aves
  551
• Yellow-billed Babbler

  Turdoides affinis (Jerdon, 1845) · Aves
  540
• White-throated Kingfisher

  Halcyon smyrnensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  445
• Black-hooded Oriole

  Oriolus xanthornus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  410
• Common Tailorbird

  Orthotomus sutorius (Pennant, 1769) · Aves
  401
• Purple-rumped Sunbird

  Leptocoma zeylonica (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  386