Exploits of Utuwankande Saradiel The Robinhood of Lanka

by Gamini G. Punchihewa

If one were to travel along the Colombo-Kandy highway, going past Mawanella, near the bridge over Maha Oya there lies a stone monument by the roadside reminiscent of the daring highway man called Utuwankande Saradiel. This monument carries the following words etched on it "Near this spot on March 1864, P.C. Sabhan of the Ceylon Police lost his life in an act of gallantry which was immediately responsible for the arrest by Mr. F. R. Saunders, Asst. Government Agent, Kegalla, of Saradiel. Five days previously George Van Haght and Christian Appu were killed and four others wounded in an attempt to effect Saradiel’s capture".

Though over 125 years have passed away since the death of Saradiel caused by execution, still his name not only around the Kandyan kingdom but in the rest of the country lingers as a legend Saradiel was a daredevil highway robber. He waylaid stage coaches and plundered the money and distributed them among the poor villagers who were in need of money. Saradiel was romantically called as the Robin Hood of Ceylon then. Even cine films were produced of his notorious exploits and his romantic episodes with the village lasses around his village in Utuwankanda. Utuwankanda is called in Sinhalese more appropriately as Otuwan-kanda — meaning its profile has the shape of a camel’s hump. Around his rustic village of Utuwankanda/Otuwankanda, old folk still reminisce about his daredevil life and times as a highwayman who robbed the coaches carrying money. Recently when I past Utuwankanda old timers gave me wealth of information about his biography. The British well-noted for naming romantic and fascinating spots on its natural beauty, called this rocky mountain as Camel’s hump.

Saradiel was born in 1835 to a family in Otumankanda. His father’s name was Dikiri Kaga Adasi Appu, a carter by profession, while his mother’s name was Pichche Hami. He was the eldest of five children. Saradiel’s earliest schooling to learn to read and write was at Etulgoda Vihara. Saradiel by nature was a mischievous and an incorrigible chap as he was stubborn and wanted to do things on his own in a somewhat notorious way.