The
Yakkas (demon-worshippers) were an Indigenous peoples of Sri Lanka, They were chiefly responsible for the
irrigationIrrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil. It is usually used to assist in growing crops in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
system in the dry zone for the development of the famous Hydraulic
CivilizationA civilization is a complex society or culture group characterized by dependence upon agriculture, long-distance trade, state form of government, occupational specialization, population, and class stratification.-Definition:...
in the
Indian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by South Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean...
's Island, today's
Sri LankaSri Lanka , officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka , is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India...
.
The Yakkas had established cities like Sirisavastu, Lankapura,
VijitapuraVijitapura is a town situated near Ratnapura in Sri Lanka and 20 km from Colombo Vijitapura is between Batticaloa and Badulla and Galle, behind this beautiful area of "We" river, which is heading to "Kauu River"...
and occupied an extensive settlement in the Mahaweli plain covering an area of over 1,000 sq.
The
Yakkas (demon-worshippers) were an Indigenous peoples of Sri Lanka, They were chiefly responsible for the
irrigationIrrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil. It is usually used to assist in growing crops in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
system in the dry zone for the development of the famous Hydraulic
CivilizationA civilization is a complex society or culture group characterized by dependence upon agriculture, long-distance trade, state form of government, occupational specialization, population, and class stratification.-Definition:...
in the
Indian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by South Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean...
's Island, today's
Sri LankaSri Lanka , officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka , is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India...
.
The Yakkas had established cities like Sirisavastu, Lankapura,
VijitapuraVijitapura is a town situated near Ratnapura in Sri Lanka and 20 km from Colombo Vijitapura is between Batticaloa and Badulla and Galle, behind this beautiful area of "We" river, which is heading to "Kauu River"...
and occupied an extensive settlement in the Mahaweli plain covering an area of over 1,000 sq. miles. At the same time the
NagasNaga or NAGA may refer to:* Nāga, a group of serpent deities in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.-People:* Naga people, an diverse ethnic identity in Northeast India* Naga , from Kashmir* Naga Regiment, of the Indian Army...
(snake-workshippers) occupied the seabord.
They were expert
horsemenHorsemen may refer to:*Cavalry*Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse*Four Horsemen *Royal Canadian Mounted Police*Horsemen , starring Dennis Quaid*The Horsemen , starring Omar Sharif...
who assisted king Pandukabhaya with their technical skills to upgrade
AnuradhapuraAnuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization....
to a city. In the Mahaweli plain there were hydraulic structures to divert water for irrigation within their settlement area and the Maduruoya reservoir used a unique technology in binding burnt terracotta bricks with resin or tar, which was prevalent in Persia.
The Mahaweli Ganga was called Phasis fluvius by
PtolemyClaudius Ptolemaeus , known in English as Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Greek ancestry. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer and a poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under the Roman Empire, and is believed to have been born in the town of...
which means the Persian river, indicating a Persian connection. Hence it is reasonable to surmise that the Yakkas who dwelt there were connected to the Persians.
The Mahanaga garden, on the right-bank of the river
MahaweliThe Mahaweli River is a long river, currently ranking as the longest river in Sri Lanka. Its drainage basin is the largest in the country, and covers almost 1/5th of the total area of the island. The river reaches the Bay of Bengal at the north-east end of Trincomalee...
was a strategic stronghold of the 'Yakkas' during the visit of
BuddhaSiddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher in the north eastern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism. He is regarded by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha of our age. The time of his birth and death are uncertain: most early 20th-century historians dated his lifetime as c...
to Sri Lanka. When Buddha arrived at the Mahanaga garden to intercept the 'Yakkas' who were assembled there, they were more surprised than alarmed, when they saw him clad in a yellow robe and shaven-headed. Being inquisitive of the intruder and to know who he was, the 'Yakka' chief asked the Buddha, "Who art thou to come here and disturb us?" At once, the Buddha, to their bewilderment, performed a miracle by sitting cross-legged in the air. Now, the 'yakkas' through fear, emotional excitement and apprehensive of danger, begged the Buddha to save their lives and set them free. Whereupon, the Buddha, addressed them saving "I shall, O yakkas, save thee from all danger, provided I am offered a place to sit down, and make known to thee my mission". The evil horde verily agreed saying "O Great Being! We shall offer thee the whole island".
Buddha, having seated at the spot, where the Mahiyangana cetiya now stands, delivered to them a discourse, whereby they became spiritually evaluated and attained the stages of holiness (i.e., the fruits of Sovan, Sakadagami, Anagami and Arhat). Among them was the 'Yakka' commandant Saman who, after listening to the discourse, became elevated to the first phase of spiritual eminence ('Sovan'), and came to be known as Saman deviyo, who is now propitiated as the tutelary deity of Sri Pada. The god, thereupon, appealed to the Buddha to give him something as a token of symbolic worship, in the absence of the Buddha. Buddha in accedence of the earnest request, gave the god a handful of hair from his head, which the god accepted with great devotion. The god had the hair-relic secured in a golden reliquary and enshrined it in a small tope 10 ft. high and 24 ft. in circumference (Mhv. 1:36).
See also
- Kingdoms of Ancient India
Epic India is the depiction of Greater India in the Sanskrit epics, viz. the Mahabharata and the Ramayana as well as Puranic literature ....
- Exotic Tribes of Ancient India
The classic Indian epics such as the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Puranas refer to many exotic tribes, describing them as superhuman or subhuman. Narrations about these tribes are often mixed with mythology and fiction...
- Nagas
Nagas were a group who spread throughout India during the period of the epic Mahabharata. Anthropologist Gelek Lonbsang believes they have distant ancestry with East Asians based on their similar physical features. The demi-god tribe called Suparnas were arch-rivals of the Nagas...
- Balangoda Apeman