Robert Knox Memorial at Gampola Eladatta

55 years ago4 months ago07 mins

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

Robert Knox Memorial at Gampola Eladatta

Robert Knox was an English sea captain in the service of the British East India Company who was captured by the king Rajasinghe II, the ruler of the Kandyan kingdom in 1659 when their ship had a malfunction and landed in then Ceylon. He along with 15 other sailors were taken as prisoners of the Kandyan kingdom and held for 19 years, finally escaping back to England in 1680. However, he was not a prisoner in the general sense, where he was given land and houses to live at various places, almost unrestricted mobility within the kingdom and greater respect than the average citizen while being a prisoner of the king.

During the voyage, Knox wrote An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon, an account of his experiences on Ceylon, which was published in 1681. It attracted widespread interest at the time and made Knox internationally famous, influencing Daniel Defoe‘s Robinson Crusoe as well as sparking a friendship with Robert Hooke of the Royal Society. It is one of the earliest and most detailed European accounts of life on Ceylon and is today seen as an invaluable record of the island in the 17th century.

Robert Knox and three of his fellow prisoners lived in Lagundeniya for 3 years. A memorial stands at the place where his house was situated in Lagundeniya.

At this location in Eladatta, you find the second memorial plaque of Robert Knox. During this time he managed to hire a man to sneak into the village which was living previously in the guise of a prisoner of this man. Once they arrived at the village he removed the prisoner outfit and declared that the man was sent by the magistrate to assist Knox to collect the debts owed by the villagers to him. Using this money he purchased land in Eladatta where he built a house and moved. At this location in Eladatta, you find the second memorial plaque of Robert Knox.

After buying the land, he built a house with the support of three fellow prisoners Roger Gold, Ralph Knight, and Stephen Rutland who lived close by. In 1670, he moved to this new house at Eladatta with the three fellow prisoners who helped build the house.

In about 2 years Roger and Ralph Knight got married and moved out leaving only Stephen Rutland who was fixated on leaving the island and back to his own country, just like Knox. Robert Knox and Stephen lived at this house until 1679, expanding the house, growing fruits, and moving into animal husbandry as well. But they never moved away from selling merchandise to far away villagers learning the routes to freedom. In 1679, they left Eladatta House on their final escape through Anuradhapura to Arippu.

In 1908 a plaque installed by J P Lewis had been placed at the place where Knox lived in Eladatta although the house no longer exists. The stone plaque reads

HEREABOUT
DWELT
ROBERT KNOX
STEPHEN
RUTLAND
1670-1679
AND WITH THEM
UNTIL 1674
ROGER COULD
RALPH KNIGHT
——————-
ERECTED 1908
J P L

The plaque lies hidden on a fence of a private land. Although it lies adjoining the road, it is hidden with weeds and unprotected, unlike Lagundeniya.

In addition to the above, there is a stone tunnel about 190 feet long built under a Kamatha of a paddy field below the road In front of the monument. This tunnel is built completely using blocks of stone tightly fitted to each other with no cement. The top of the tunnel is covered with slabs of rock. According to folklore, this was built by Robert Knox to carry water to the fields. However, Robert Knox does not mention anything regarding tunnels in any of his books and possibly a fable developed over time.

Still, it is a marvel which has survived for hundreds of years and still carries a water stream to the paddy fields as intended when constructed and worth making an effort to find and visit it.

Sources

Knox, R., 1681. An historical relation of the island Ceylon, in the East – together with an account of the detaining in captivity the author … and of the author’s miraculous escape. Illustrated with figures and a map of the island. 1st ed. London: Richard Cbifwell.
Karunarathne, D., 2007. රොබට් නොක්ස්ගේ එදා හෙළදිව. 1st ed. Colombo: M. D. Gunasena.

Also See

Map of Robert Knox Memorial at Gampola Eladatta and Other Places of Interest

Please click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map (ගූගල් සිතියම් පහලින්)

Show Location (ගූගල් සිතියම)

The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.

Driving Directions to Robert Knox Memorial at Gampola Eladatta

Route from Kandy to Robert Knox memorial at Gampola Eladatta
Though : Daulugala Distance : 15 km Travel time : 30 mins Time to spend : 15-45 mins Driving directions : see on google map

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Allekattu Gal Amuna across Kalaru River (කල්ආරු හරහා අල්ලෙකට්ටු ගල් අමුණ)
Parker in 1909 describes an ancient amuna known as "Allekattu" in Tamil, located across the Kalaru River, which originates from the Pavatkulama Wewa reservoir and serves as one of the main tributaries to the Malwathu Oya in the Northern Province. The dam is situated approximately 2 miles (about 3 km) upstream from the Kalaru bridge on the Mannar-Medawachchiya road. Brohier refers to this weir as "Allekattu Tekkam." […]
Degaldoruwa Pitiye Devale (දෙගල්දෝරුව පිටියේ දේවාලය)
Pitiye Deviyo is a powerful protector deity of Dumbara who had once defeated the deity Natha Deviyo who had fled in fear of him after a brief battle. The people of Dumbara fear and respect him as he is believed to protect the land, the crops, and the people who live in the area. He provides the rain on time for cultivation and dry weather for harvesting. […]
Tissamaharama Uduvila Gangarama Viharaya (තිස්සමහාරාම උඩුවිල ගංගාරාම විහාරය)
Despite the Uduvila Gangarama Viharaya temple's recent developments, there are still a few relics of the monastic complex from the Pre-Christian era. Near the stupa, you'll find a cluster of undressed stone pillars that once supported an ancient building. Additionally, the top portion of a massive Yupa Gala, and Gal Chatra is found nearby […]
Archaeological Ruins at Tissamaharama Poththewelagala Aranya Senasanaya (පොත්තේවෙලගල ආරණ්‍ය සේනාසනය)
The Poththewelagala Ruins are located in a scrub jungle, 2 kilometers southeast of Tissamaharama. The site can be reached from a gravel road 3.3 km down the Kirinda-Sithulpawwa Road. A black archaeology board by the roadside marks the direction of this gravel road. After driving 1 kilometre along this road and passing a model village, you will arrive at the ruins. […]
Tissamaharama Uddhakandara Rajamaha Viharaya (උද්ධකන්දර රජමහා විහාරය)
Uddhakandara Rajamaha Viharaya is a new temple in Tissamaharama built on an ancient monastic site going back to the pre-Christian era. The original temple is believed to have been built by regional king Mahanaga, the brother of King Devanmpiyatissa (250-210 BCE) who fled the Anuradhapura kingdom. […]
Thambarawa Wewa & Pre Historic Burial Site (තඹරව වැව හා ප්‍රාග් ඓතිහාසික සුසාන භූමිය)
Thambarawa is a small ancient reservoir situated 8 km southeast of Tissa, on the western border of the Yala National Park. The area is partly paddy fields and covered in forest on the southern side. The reservoir was restored for the last time in 2023. The bund of the Thambarawa Wewa is 640 meters long with spills on both sides of the bund. […]
Handapangala Wewa Reservoir (හඳපානාගල වැව ජලාශය)
Handapangala Wewa is a picturesque and peaceful haven located in the Wellawaya area popular among the travellers and photographers for the abundant elephants in the area especially during the dry season. The bund of the Handapanagala Wewa is 3600 feet (1.1 km) long and 19 feet (5.8 m) high. At full capacity, the water covers 450 acres and holds 5000 acre feet. […]
Empilipitiya Chandrika Wewa Reservoir (ඇඹිලිපිටිය චන්ද්‍රිකා වැව ජලාශය)
Empilipitiya Chandrika Wewa Reservoir, located in the Ratnapura District bordering Hambanthota District, is one of the largest reservoirs constructed after Ceylon gained independence. Chandrika wewa today is a magnet for the tourists and pilgrims to Kataragama seeking the scenic route rather than than the Southern Expressway. […]
Udawalawe Reservoir and the Dam (උඩවලවේ ජලාශය සහ වේල්ල)
The Udawalawe Reservoir, located in the Ratnapura and Hambantota Districts of Sri Lanka, is one of the country's largest and most significant water bodies. It was constructed in 1963, primarily to support agriculture and irrigation in the surrounding regions, which include Udawalawe, Embilipitiya, and Hambantota. […]
Hurulu Wewa Reservoir (හුරුළු වැව)
Hurulu Wewa ancient reservoir, originally known as Challura Vapi, was one of sixteen reservoirs constructed by King Mahasen, the renowned Sinhalese monarch who ruled over Lanka from 276 to 303 CE. The reservoir lies on Yan Oya in the remote village of Yakalla, between Anuradhapura and Habarana off Ritigala. […]
List of Adhigars of the Kandyan Kingdom (උඩරට රාජධානියේ අධිකාරම්වරු)
The title of Adhigar (Adigar) in the Kandyan Kingdom of Sri Lanka referred to a high-ranking official or noble who held significant administrative and judicial authority. In Sinhala, he is called the Adhikaram. The position was one of the most powerful in the Kandyan court, second only to the king himself. Adhigars were entrusted with overseeing various aspects of governance, including implementing laws, administering justice, and managing royal affairs. […]
Diyawadana Nilames of Kandy Dalada Maligawa
Diyawadana Nilame’ has the custody of the key to the first casket out of the seven golden caskets where the Sacred Tooth Relic is enshrined, as he is the lay custodian of the Sacred Tooth Relic. This position is recorded in the ‘Dathuwansa’, the chronicle of tooth relic, as ‘Dhathurakkadikari’. […]
Wendaruwa Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya (වෙඬරුව කිරිවෙහෙර රජමහා විහාරය)
The image house of Wendaruwa Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya is a rectangular Kandyan-style building with a verandah supported by 16 evenly spaced wooden pillars. The pillars are carved with alternating square and cylindrical sections, though these sections are plain and lack any decorative design. The pillars rest on a wooden frame constructed with large wooden beams placed atop the half-height outer wall of the image house. […]
Dimbulagala Dewagala Archaeological Ruins (දේවගල පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
These ruins are scattered across a rocky hill that stretches approximately 800 meters from north to south. The hill is surrounded on all sides by farmland. An irrigation canal and a paved road run along the eastern slope, making the western slopes the most accessible route to approach the rock by a vehicle. […]
Namalpura Sri Vishuddharama Tampita Viharaya / Madawala Tampita Viharaya (නාමල්පුර ශ්‍රී විශුද්ධාරාම ටැම්පිට විහාරය / මඩවල ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
The Tampita Viharaya of the Sri Vishuddharama Tampita Viharaya (Madawala Tampita Viharaya) lies in the remote village of Namalpura 17 kms away from Habarana. […]
Orubendi Siyambalawa Tamarind Tree (පුරාණ ඔරුබැඳි සියඹලාව සියඹලා ගස)
A giant Tamarind Tree over 1700 years in Orubendisiyambalawa lying on the banks of ancient Elahera Yoda Ela. It is said that king Mahasen (276-303) used to tie his royal barge on to this tree when he visited Elahera area. […]
Minneriya National Park (මින්නේරිය ජාතික වනෝද්‍යානය)
Situated 182 km from Colombo, Minneriya National Park is dominated by the Minneriya tank. This is another park where you will find the Elephants in large numbers. […]
Mannar Fort (මන්නාරම් බලකොටුව)
Built on the island of Mannar in Sri Lanka by the Portuguese in 1560, Mannar Fort surrendered to the Dutch on 22 February 1658 and was rebuilt by the Dutch in 1696. On 5 October 1795 the Dutch surrendered to the British. […]
Helamulla Degalhela Viharaya Ruins (හෙලමුල්ල දෙගල්හෙල පුරාණ විහාරය නටබුන්)
The ruins at the deserted Helamulla Degalhela Viharaya at the foot of the Degalhela Rock is another unexplored and unknown ancient Buddhist site in Siyambalanduwa. […]
Hulannuge Tharulengala Rajamaha Viharaya at Lahugala (හුලංනුගේ තරුලෙන්ගල රජමහා විහාරය)
Built by King Kanvantissa before the 2nd centenary BC, Hulan Nuge Tharulengala Raja Maha Viharaya ( Tharulengala Forest Hermitage) on a 633 feet high rocky hill called Karadahela in Lahugala Divisional secretariat in Ampara district is a fine example of the grandeur of the ancient Digamdulla heritage. […]
Mulativu Wediwettukallu Amuna Archaeological Ruins
Hidden within the forest along the Wediwettukallu and Welioya road lies a significant ancient Amuna (Anicut), spanning across a tributary of Kikul Oya. This Amuna stands approximately 1.5 meters high from the ground level, stretching 40 meters in length and 8 meters in width. Evidence suggests that it may have served as a bridge at some point, as brick construction is observed atop the stone blocks. […]
Bathalagoda Wewa Reservoir in Kurunegala (කුරුනෑගල බතලගොඩ වැව)
According to Hendry Parker, the Bathalagoda Wewa was built in pre Christian times for the water supply of an ancient city which for many centuries has been merely referred to as ‘Parana Nuwara’ since its original name was never known. […]
Panda Wewa – The First man made Reservoir in the World (ලොව මුල්ම අංග සම්පුර්ණ වැව වන පඬාවැව සහ එහි නටබුණ්)
Panda wewa, lying close to the ancient kingdom of Panduwasnuwara is believed to be the oldest man made reservior in the world built by King Panduwasdeva (504-474 BC) in 450 BC for irrigation as well as for daily use by the citizens of Panduwasnuwara. […]
Yoda Wewa at Tissamaharama (තිස්සමහාරාම යෝධ වැව)
It is believed that this tank was built by King Mahanaga in the late 3rd Century BC and the Duratissa Wewa mentioned in the ancient texts is the current Yodha Wewa in Tissamaharama. […]
Tissamaharama Tissa Wewa: The First Oblique Dam in the World (තිස්සමහාරාම තිස්ස වැව)
The Tissa Wewa is one of the largest ancient irrigation tanks constructed the 3rd Century is considered the first Oblique Dam in the world […]

Sources

Also See

Map of Robert Knox Memorial at Gampola Eladatta and Other Places of Interest

Driving Directions to Robert Knox Memorial at Gampola Eladatta

Share this:

Like this:

Leave a ReplyCancel reply