HITUWA LENA

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

At least four entrances (WILSON 1988) give access to modified natural temple cave in gravitationally dislocated granite boulders, which once had been a Buddhist sanctuary or had been sacred to the goddess Kurukulla (note 1) but now is exploited as a Muslim shrine associated with Abdul Qadir Jailany / Jailani, an Iraqi pir (holy man). No wonder, the religious establishment is endowed with a fabulous underground tunnel, which currently runs underground all the way to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Other caves and / or shelters in the vicinity are –>Bambaragala Shelter, –>Budugala Caves, –>Diyavinna Cave, –>Lunu Galge and –>Udupiyan Galge. ETYMOLOGY: Who or what is Hituwa? So far, I saw the -lena- (cave) of Hituwa called, spelled, transcribed, or edited as Daftur Jailani (note 2) WILSON (1988: 23) Hituwalena Cave, Kurunegala WILSON (1988: 23) Kuragala cave temple WILSON (1988: 23) Kurugala cavern CEYLON TRAVLLER (1983: 154) Kurugala cliff cave MORGAN (1943: 13 after BASSET 1929) Kurukulla cave EIOT (1921, 3: 389). SITUATION: Indicated on tourist maps (note 3), Hituwalena lies at an attractive forested location where one spectacular entrance looks out across miles of paddy fields over 300 m below (WILSON 1988: 23). Lying at travelling distances of about 15 miles (25 km) east-south-east of Balangoda (note 4), and 10 or 15 km south-south-west of Haputale (note 5), the site is accessible by car along a reasonable metalled road (in 1988 with numerous potholes). SITUATION 1929: BASSET (1929: not seen) is said to locate the entrance … in the face of a cliff a short climb down from the summit and beneath a huge mass that towers fifty feet above on the edge of a 600-foot precipice … SITUATION 1943: MORGAN (1943: 13 after BASSET 1929: not seen) is said to place the cave in the Kurugala cliff at a spot which lies in an unspecified spatial relation near Molamure (note 6). SITUATION 1974: CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974: ?; 1983: 154) places in the vicinity of the Circuit Bungalow at Uggal Kaltot (note 7), both Budugala cave temple and Kurugala cavern lie at a walking distance of two miles (about 3 km) from MP 14 (mile post 14, kilometre 22.5) on the road from Balangoda (note 8) initially ESE and later NE to Uggal Kaltota. SITUATION 1988: WILSON (1988: 23) refers initially to the Kurugala and Budugala cave temples and then positions Hituwalena Cave at Kurugala on the Survey of Celyon Haputale 1- map (unidentified issue) near the coordinates 6° 37' 20”N 80° 52' 05”E: altitude about 500 m (unspecified geodetic datum probably Everest 1830) but I cannot figure out if these coordinates are meant indicate the position of the village or that of the cave itself. SITUATION, undated: This cave is at the top of the Balangoda Plateau and overlooks the Kaltota Plains about 500 feet below (jailani.org/chapt-4b.htm accessed 2009.09.17). APPROACH: Take a footpath along an irrigation channel near Tanjantenna / Tanlantenna (note 9), a village near Kaltota (unidentified: short for Uggal Kalota?) on the road from Balangoda to Uggal Kaltota [note 10] or Uggalkaltota. The Kuragala rock is clearly seen from the way to –>Budugala: The massive Kuragala rock on the mountainside above contains the Kuragala cave and the Jailani Muslim shrine (CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974: 245; 1983: 247). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1929: The cave … is entirely natural, bearing no signs of artificial excavations or of ritual adornment. The entrance is situated in the face of a cliff a short climb down from the summit where on entering there is a large -hall” from which two passages lead off on either hand. The right hand passage is seen to extend for at least 50 yards into the depths of the earth before merging into the general darkness of the shadows. On the opposite side of the entrance hall, a narrow passage leads out on to the meditation -ledge” [note 11], a niche in the sheer side of the cliff, some 6 foot by 4 foot with an overhanging roof of rock. Here seated beneath a huge mass that towers fifty feet aboe on the edge of a 600-foot precipice, a hermit can find solitude indeed and food for contemplation in the unbroken ocean of trees spread out below him. Entering from a small hole in the rock, at the back an atmosphere of complete detachment pervades the occupant of the tiny ledge. Earthly considerations lose their importance before the uncomplicated immensity of the colossal landscape and the fatality of the sheer abyss (BASSET 1929). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1974: From the entrance chamber a branch of the cave slopes steeply downwards and is (perpendicularly) one of the deepest in the island (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 245; 1983: 247). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1988: For people with a frame of mind fascinated by large dimensions, the cave is small. Through-drafts [air current, air flow] between at least four entrances keeps the humidity low … A small tunnel, about 12 m long, which leads off the 2 m high meditation chamber drops into a narrow, almost vertical fault in the granite rock which descends at last 30 m to a low level entrance in the cliff face (WILSON, J 1988: 23, with photograph showing one of at least entrances). CAVE DESCRIPTION, undated: A cave that can be negotiated for about 200 feet [61 m]. Inside is a light that appears from a crevice - no miracle but the sun light filtering in from below … (jailani.org/chapt-4b.htm accessed 2009.09.17). CAVE POTENTIAL: Pot-holing cavers and spelunkers are told that the two villages of Budugala and Kurugala are accessible by car along a reasonable metalled road with numerous pot-holes (WILSON 1988: 23). CULTURAL HISTORY: CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974: 245; 1983: 247) reports from … Kuragala cave and the Jailani Muslim shrine … [an] interesting feature, but of age unknown, is a profusion of palm-prints [rock art: paintings], such as Casteret describes from his Pyrennean discoveries. WILSON (1988: 23) refers initially to Kurugala and Budugala cave temples but then explains that the Hituwalena Cave at Kurugala … was a Buddhist monastery in th second century BC. Now it is a Muslim shrine which attracts many pilgrims; it is also known as Daftur Jailani and is where an Iraqui holy man is said to have spent 12 years in meditation. Little doubt remains that there is a fabulous tunnel or passage (sic!), which is said to lead from the cave all the way to Mecca. HUMAN USE: The cave attracts many pious visitors / pilgrims and can be considered a religious show cave. SPELEOMETRY: source tunnel chamber rift length depth BASSET (1929) 46 m -- -- 46 m -- WILSON (1988) 12 m -- 30 m 42 m 30 m jailani.org -- -- -- 61 m -- CAVE LIFE: WILSON (1988: 23) observed a few -cave invertebrates- and reports a population of large fruit bats (Chiroptera: Macrochiroptera) using the low level entrance as a habitat. jailani.org/chapt-4b.htm (accessed 2009.09.17) narrates a tale according to which a large python had its abode in this cave for many years and bats too are to be found inside (note 12).ast 30 m to a low level entrance in the cliff face (WILSON, J 1988: 23, with photograph showing one of at least entrances). CAVE DESCRIPTION, undated: A cave that can be negotiated for about 200 feet [61 m]. Inside is a light that appears from a crevice - no miracle but the sun light filtering in from below … (jailani.org/chapt-4b.htm accessed 2009.09.17). CAVE POTENTIAL: Pot-holing cavers and spelunkers are told that the two villages of Budugala and Kurugala are accessible by car along a reasonable metalled road with numerous pot-holes (WILSON 1988: 23). CULTURAL HISTORY: CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974: 245; 1983: 247) reports from … Kuragala cave and the Jailani Muslim shrine … [an] interesting feature, but of age unknown, is a profusion of palm-prints [rock art: paintings], such as Casteret describes from his Pyrennean discoveries. WILSON (1988: 23) refers initially to Kurugala and Budugala cave temples but then explains that the Hituwalena Cave at Kurugala … was a Buddhist monastery in thast 30 m to a low level entrance in the cliff face (WILSON, J 1988: 23, with photograph showing one of at least entrances). CAVE DESCRIPTION, undated: A cave that can be negotiated for about 200 feet [61 m]. Inside is a light that appears from a crevice - no miracle but the sun light filtering in from below … (jailani.org/chapt-4b.htm accessed 2009.09.17). CAVE POTENTIAL: Pot-holing cavers and spelunkers are told that the two villages of Budugala and Kurugala are accessible by car along a reasonable metalled road with numerous pot-holes (WILSON 1988: 23). CULTURAL HISTORY: CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974: 245; 1983: 247) reports from … Kuragala cave and the Jailani Muslim shrine … [an] interesting feature, but of age unknown, is a profusion of palm-prints [rock art: paintings], such as Casteret describes from his Pyrennean discoveries. WILSON (1988: 23) refers initially to Kurugala and Budugala cave temples but then explains that the Hituwalena Cave at Kurugala … was a Buddhist monastery in thast 30 m to a low level entrance in the cliff face (WILSON, J 1988: 23, with photograph showing one of at least entrances). CAVE DESCRIPTION, undated: A cave that can be negotiated for about 200 feet [61 m]. Inside is a light that appears from a crevice - no miracle but the sun light filtering in from below … (jailani.org/chapt-4b.htm accessed 2009.09.17). CAVE POTENTIAL: Pot-holing cavers and spelunkers are told that the two villages of Budugala and Kurugala are accessible by car along a reasonable metalled road with numerous pot-holes (WILSON 1988: 23). CULTURAL HISTORY: CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974: 245; 1983: 247) reports from … Kuragala cave and the Jailani Muslim shrine … [an] interesting feature, but of age unknown, is a profusion of palm-prints [rock art: paintings], such as Casteret describes from his Pyrennean discoveries. WILSON (1988: 23) refers initially to Kurugala and Budugala cave temples but then explains that the Hituwalena Cave at Kurugala … was a Buddhist monastery in th second century BC. Now it is a Muslim shrine which attracts many pilgrims; it is also known as Daftur Jailani and is where an Iraqui holy man is said to have spent 12 years in meditation. Little doubt remains that there is a fabulous tunnel or passage (sic!), which is said to lead from the cave all the way to Mecca. HUMAN USE: The cave attracts many pious visitors / pilgrims and can be considered a religious show cave. SPELEOMETRY: source tunnel chamber rift length depth BASSET (1929) 46 m -- -- 46 m -- WILSON (1988) 12 m -- 30 m 42 m 30 m jailani.org -- -- -- 61 m -- CAVE LIFE: WILSON (1988: 23) observed a few -cave invertebrates- and reports a population of large fruit bats (Chiroptera: Macrochiroptera) using the low level entrance as a habitat. jailani.org/chapt-4b.htm (accessed 2009.09.17) narrates a tale according to which a large python had its abode in this cave for many years and bats too are to be found inside (note 12).