Guardians of the Sacred Grove

The untold story of Kiriamma Ulpatha – Sri Lanka's Vanishing Myristica Swamp

- BY KUMUDU AMARASINGHE

Sacred Springs of Kiriamma Ulpatha - Where Devotion Meets the Forest

Kiriamma Ulpatha is a rare freshwater swamp forest, one of the very few of its kind in Sri Lanka. It lies at the base of the Kaluganga Valley in the eastern slopes of the renowned Knuckles Mountain Range, a UNESCO World Heritage Conservation Area. The location is exceptionally significant due to the abrupt ecological transition between the mist-laden montane cloud forests and the dry semi-evergreen forests bathed in sunlight—an extraordinary habitat shift occurring over a short span of elevation.

The Knuckles Massif, celebrated for its high biodiversity and ecological value, also plays a key role in regional hydrology. Numerous springs, rivulets, and streams emerge from this range, feeding major rivers such as the Kalu Ganga, Heen Ganga, and Theligam Oya. Kiriamma Ulpatha stands out as a spring-fed swamp forest, reflecting the massif's remarkable water-retaining geology and its intimate link with this forest ecosystem.

According to Mr. Dulan Madusanka Weerasekara, whose ancestral roots are linked to the area, this forest patch was once part of a vast natural landscape surrounding the remote village of Dagavilla. The village itself eventually vanished, for reasons still unclear, and the forest remained isolated for decades—known only to a few hunters and village elders—until new roads opened the area once more.

The situation changed dramatically with the Moragahakanda-Kaluganga multipurpose development project, which cleared large tracts of land for paddy fields, roads, and the resettlement town of Laggala. It was only after strong appeals from local residents that this remaining fragment of forest was spared.