Lakegala Kanda – What the Mountain Means to Us

In Meemure, we don’t speak about Lakegala Kanda loudly.
We talk about it the way we talk about elders — slowly, carefully, with respect.

From childhood, we grow up seeing Lakegala in the distance. Some mornings it is clear and strong, standing like a wall of stone. Other days, it disappears completely, wrapped in mist, as if it does not wish to be seen. Our elders say, “If Lakegala hides, let it hide.”

Growing Up Under Lakegala

When we were children, our mothers would point toward the mountain and warn us not to wander too far. Not because Lakegala is cruel — but because it is powerful. They said the mountain knows who comes with good intentions and who comes only to challenge it.

Even today, farmers heading to the paddy fields glance at Lakegala before starting their work. If clouds move strangely around its peak, some say it is better to return early. These signs are not written anywhere — they are felt.

The Stories We Inherited

We didn’t learn about Lakegala from books. We learned sitting near the hearth, listening to grandparents speak while the firewood cracked softly.

They told us Lakegala was there long before villages, before roads, before names. Some said King Ravana once used this mountain — not as a palace, but as a place of knowledge and protection. Others say it is where ancient energies still rest.

Whether these stories are history or belief doesn’t matter to us. What matters is that they remind us: this land is older than us.

Why We Don’t Climb Lakegala

Many outsiders ask why villagers don’t climb Lakegala. The answer is simple.

We don’t feel the need to prove anything to a mountain.

Lakegala is steep, dangerous, and unpredictable. Mist can fall suddenly. Winds can change without warning. Some who tried to go closer returned shaken, saying the forest felt confusing, as if paths moved on their own.

So we leave it alone — not out of fear, but understanding.

Living With the Mountain

Lakegala watches our lives quietly. It watches us plant paddy, collect water, raise children, and bury elders. Through floods, droughts, and long years of isolation, it has remained unchanged.

We believe this is why Meemure is still pure. The mountain teaches us limits. It reminds us not to take more than we need. Not to hurt what protects us.

When Visitors Come

When visitors come to Meemure, we hope they don’t come to conquer Lakegala. We hope they come to feel it — to stand at a distance, breathe the cool air, and understand why we speak softly about it.

If you listen carefully, you may feel it too — not a voice, but a presence.

What Lakegala Really Is

To outsiders, Lakegala Kanda is a mountain.

To us, it is:

• A guardian
• A reminder
• A silent teacher

It is part of our life, even if we never touch it.

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From Our Village Heart

Lakegala does not ask for attention.
It only asks for respect.

And as long as we give that, it stands there — strong, silent, and watching over Meemure.