Alen Morgen November 03, 2025

 🏞️ Ravana Yakkama – The Living Legend of Meemure Village




Introduction

Tucked deep within Sri Lanka’s , Meemure is one of the most remote and evocative villages in the country. Beyond its misty valleys and cascading streams lies a rich cultural tapestry where myth and daily life intertwine. One of the most fascinating expressions of that heritage is the ritual known as Ravana Yakkama — a celebration and veneration of ancestral legacy dating back to the legendary king .


1. Origins of Ravana Yakkama & the Yaksha Heritage

The villagers of Meemure believe they are descended from the Yaksha tribe — indigenous guardians of the land in ancient Sri Lankan legend. According to local lore, this lineage connects them directly to King Ravana and his court. ([dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk])
The ritual of Ravana Yakkama helps preserve that identity: it recalls a time when the land was governed by forest yoked kings and the tools of the earth carried sacred significance.

2. The Ritual: Farming Tools, Fields & Ancestral Power



In Meemure, the act of clearing paddy fields is not just agriculture — it’s a ritual passed from generation to generation.

  • Before starting fieldwork, villagers offer respect to their tools — the sickle, the axe — linked to Yaksha and Ravana-era heritage.
  • The ceremony acknowledges the spirits of the land, the ancestors, and King Ravana as protector and forefather.
  • Unlike purely performative customs, Ravana Yakkama lives through fieldwork, through the rhythms of planting and harvest.

3. Landscape & Myth Merged: Nitro Cave, Lakegala & Meadowlands



The setting of Meemure gives the ritual tangible power. The forested slopes, ancient caves like the , and the fierce silhouette of all become stages for legend.
As visitors trek to these places and explore the valleys, they step into the world where Ravana’s story is alive — not just in stone and story but in the living land and its people.

4. Why Ravana Yakkama Matters Today

  • Cultural Identity: For the villagers of Meemure, this ritual affirms their place in a larger myth-world and connects them to ancestral traditions.
  • Tourist Experience: For visitors, understanding Ravana Yakkama transforms a trek into Meemure from scenic to soulful — the journey gains depth.
  • Heritage Preservation: In a globalising world, practices like Ravana Yakkama are rare treasures — living links to ancient beliefs, not just museum-pieces.

5. Visiting Respectfully: What You Should Know

If you plan to explore Meemure and learn about Ravana Yakkama, keep these in mind:

  • Ask permission before photographing rituals or tools used in the fields.
  • Remember: this is daily life, not a show. Respect the boundaries of villagers.
  • Visit related sites: the Nitro Cave, Lakegala base, the paddy fields themselves — they all form part of the story.
  • Reflect — instead of just seeing, try to feel how myth and landscape merge here.

Conclusion

Ravana Yakkama in Meemure is more than folklore — it is heritage turned living practice. In the rustle of paddy, in the carving of axes, in the shadow of Lakegala, one sees the legend of Ravana not as distant myth but as a presence in place and people.



“When the fields awaken in Meemure, the ancestors-rise; when the mountains echo, the Yaksha remember.”
Visit Meemure not just to see nature — but to feel a world where story and soil are intertwined.

Alen Morgen

Posted by Alen Morgen