Vanni Bandara Stone Memorial in Oddusuddan : A Legacy of Resistance

In ancient Sri Lanka, the region between Jaffna and Rajarata was known as the Vanni. In 1836, Simon Casie Chitty outlined its boundaries as Trincomalee to the east, the Gulf of Mannar to the west, Nuwarakalawiya to the south, and Jaffna to the north.

The Vanni Region and Its People

During that period, the Vanni was a largely forested area, with only sporadic paddy cultivation. Its economy revolved around forest produce such as elephant tusks, venison, honey, beeswax, cattle, milk, ghee, and coconuts, which locals bartered in coastal towns.

The region was governed by local chieftains known as Vanniyas, some of whom were of Tamil descent. These Vanniyas alternately pledged allegiance to either the Sinhala kings or the rulers of Nallur, depending on political dynamics. According to Prof. Senarath Paranavitana, they derived their name from their role as rulers of forested lands (from vana, meaning forest in Sanskrit). He notes there were two types of Vanniyas: 18 Maha Vanni (Great Vanni) and 364 Siri Vanni, also known as Sulu Vanni (Lesser Vanni) chieftains.

The term “Vanni” first appears in the Mahavamsa in relation to King Vijayabahu III (1232–1236 CE), who reportedly organized his army in the Vanni before relocating to Dambadeniya and is referred to there as Vanniraja (King of the Vanni).

Colonial Disruption and Loss of Autonomy

Following the Portuguese conquest of Jaffna in 1621, the Vanni came under nominal colonial control. The Dutch, who later captured Jaffna around 1782, required Vanniyars to supply elephants annually as tribute. When this tribute was not paid, the Dutch invaded, captured the female Vanni chief Maria Sembatte, and imprisoned her in Colombo, where she died. This effectively ended the Vanni’s autonomy.

British Conquest and the Rise of Vanni Bandara

After the British took control of Dutch-held territories in 1802, a new resistance emerged in the form of Vanni Bandara (Tamil: Pandara Vanniyan), a chieftain from the Kolamune area in Mullaitivu. Married to a woman from the Nuwarawewa family in Anuradhapura, he gained support from both northern and southern Vanni factions.

His goal was to free the Vanni from British rule and reinstate his authority as its chief. Through guerrilla tactics, he destabilized the region and even launched attacks as far north as Elephant Pass in Jaffna.

Guerrilla Warfare and British Retaliation

According to Casie Chitty, while Vanni Bandara was courageous, his troops lacked military discipline and often fled at the sight of British forces, leaving their leader and a few brave warriors to fight alone.

Despite this, his resistance caused significant concern for the British. Multiple attempts to capture him failed until 1803, when Captain Von Driberg, a Dutch officer serving in the British military, launched a coordinated military campaign from Jaffna, Mannar, and Trincomalee.

On October 31, 1803, Vanni Bandara’s forces were defeated in a decisive battle at Oddusuddan. The British killed many of his fighters, captured 46, and seized a cannon reportedly gifted by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe of Kandy. They razed the homes of his supporters, drove his family into the forest, and then withdrew.

Though defeated, Vanni Bandara was never captured. He escaped into the Kandyan territory, where he is believed to have died in 1810 from wounds sustained in another British assault.

Legacy of Resistance

Von Driberg, the officer who ultimately defeated Vanni Bandara, had previously suffered defeats at his hands. On August 25, 1803, Kandyan troops under Dissawe Kumarasekara (Maha Vanni) and forces from northern Vanni attacked and temporarily captured the Mullaitivu Fort, forcing Von Driberg to retreat. In retaliation, the British executed Kumarasekara and others as traitors the following month.

The significance of the final battle with Vanni Bandara’s army on October 31, 1803, to the British can be inferred from the stone memorial they erected at the battle site. It is inscribed as follows:

HEREABOUTS
CAPTAIN
VON DRIBERG
DEFEATED
PANDARA
VAWNIYAN
31ST OCT
1803

This monument is located in the village of Kachchilamaduwa, under the Oddusuddan Divisional Secretariat in the Mullaitivu District. From Oddusuddan, travel 3.5 km along the Puthukudiyiruppu road, turn left at the Kachchilamaduwa junction, and travel about 600 meters. The monument stands on the left side of the road at a place called Siyeladi.

Cultural Reverence and Modern Recognition

Today, both Sinhala and Tamil communities in the Vanni venerate Vanni Bandara as a guardian deity. Before entering the forest, locals still invoke his protection.

In 1982, President Ranasinghe Premadasa officially recognized him as a National Hero, unveiling a statue of him at the junction where the Mannar Road joins the A9 Highway in Vavuniya. A larger statue also stands near the British memorial plaque in Oddusuddan.

Tamil communities commemorate Pandara Vanniyan Memorial Day annually on August 25, the day he captured the Mullaitivu Fort. He has since been memorialized in Tamil literature and heroic epics, with some even drawing comparisons between him and LTTE terrorist leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Archaeological Finds

About 25 meters from the British plaque, near the Thaganbu Vairaj Kovil, the Department of Archaeology has identified a circular stone altar, believed to be an ancient flower pedestal, measuring 97 cm in diameter and 18 cm thick.

References

1. Asanga, M. V. P. K., & Nishantha, I. P. S. (2018). පෞරාණික ස්ථාන හා ස්මාරක – මුලතිව් දිස්ත්‍රික්කය (1st ed.). Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka.
2. Archaeologysl.maps.arcgis.com. 2020. Web GIS Portal – Web GIS Unit. [online] Available at: <https://archaeologysl.maps.arcgis.com/home/index.html> [Accessed 13 September 2020].
3. Jayawardhana, J. (2014, June 2). මෙන්න වන්නියේ ඉතිහාස කතාව. දිවයින. Retrieved September 20, 2020, from https://www.divaina.com/2014/06/02/mano04.html
4. Casie Chitty, S., 1834. The Ceylon Gazetteer: Containing An Accurate Account Of The Districts, Provinces, Cities, Towns … &C. Of The Island Of Ceylon. 1st ed. Colombo: Cotta Church Mission Press, pp.218-220.
5. Somasundaram, D., 2014. Scarred Communities. 1st ed. New Delhi: SAGE Publications, p.52.
6. Martyn, J., 2003. Martyn’s Notes On Jaffna. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services, p.10.
7. Nawaratnam, C., 1960. Vanni And And The Vanniyas. 1st ed. Jaffna: Eelandu Limited.

Also See

• Ancient Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
• Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity

Map of Vanni Bandara Stone Memorial

Traveling Directions to Vanni Bandara Stone Memorial