In Search of the Malwatu Oya
A Journey in Search of an Ancient Civilization.
Starting from the holy mountain of Ritigala, Malwatu River, the second longest river (102 miles) in Sri Lanka, flows across the face of the Raja Rata (Land of the Kings) to enter the Bay of Mannar of the Indian Ocean. The most historic river basin in Sri Lanka, called Malwatu Oya in the native language, the River of Flower Gardens, lies at the very heart of the beginning of Sri Lanka’s ancient civilization.
It is believed that the Malwatu Oya provided a direct water route from the ancient port of Mantai, the largest and the most important port in the Indian Ocean, to the historic capital of Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura. Situated near the mouth of the Malwatu Oya, this great port drew traders from Greece, Rome, Persia, Egypt, China and East Asia as regular visitors to Mantai, which was then the hub of the trade between the East and the West.
Despite its enormous significance and importance, today, very little is known about this historic river. The last person to explore the Malwatu Oya was the Englishman Robert Knox in 1679, who followed its path to escape the power of King of Kandy, Rajasimha II (1629 – 1687 CE).
Starting where Knox’s journey ended, at Arippu where the river flows into the sea, a group of artists, historians, and explorers took on a Journey to row up the Malwatu Oya in canoes while documenting its course, its scenery, beginnings, environment, the legendary irrigation systems, and its surrounding village life.
This is a Journey which has never been attempted in the modern era. The Malwatu Oya has never been explored or studied in its own right. Without Malwatu Oya, the civilization of Sri Lanka may never have come into being.
A Journey in Search of the Malwatu Oya is a Journey to the Heart of an Ancient Civilization.
Dr. SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda |
Director |
Hiranya Malwatta |
Director |
Dr. SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda |
Producer |
Nandana Sitinamaluwe (Producer) |
Producer |
Shanika Weerasundara |
Producer |
Hiranya Malwatta, Tharindu Amunugama, Dr. SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda, Eduard Hempel, Thilini Wickramasinghe |
Key Cast |
Thorana Music |
Music |
Thorana Music |
Music |
Malani Bulathsinghala |
Music |