Dambana Veddha Village
| The Dambana Vedda village is home to the last remaining tribe of the indigenous people of Sri Lanka. The Veddas still practice age old traditions and ways of life and are primarily a hunter-gatherer race. Their ancestry can be traced as far back as 18000 BC. The Dambana Vedda village provides interesting insights into how early man survived along with a deeper understanding of a culture so old, to which its people still remain strongly tied. |
| Sri Lanka’s indigenous people at the Dambana Vedda village |
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History of the Dambana Vedda Village, Sri Lanka |
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The Vedda way of life at the Dambana Village, Sri Lanka |
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Visitors to Dambana learn how the Veddas once sustained themselves through age-old hunting methods, using traditional bows and arrows. They make these bows and arrows themselves using only materials harvested from the forest. A visit to the Vedda community will gives visitors the special and rare opportunity to see the "Kiri Koraha", which is one of the Veddas’ traditional forms of dance to invoke the blessings of the Gods. |
Getting the most out of your Dambana Vedda Village and Wildlife safari |
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You should definitely opt for a wildlife safari at the nearby Maduru Oya National Park if you are planning a visit to the Dambana Vedda Village. You can also choose to go on night safaris and walking trails with the Veddas themselves. |
Finding the right accommodation for your Dambana Vedda Village experience |
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How to get to the Dambana Vedda Village |
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For more information on air travel please visit www.flysrilanka.lk |
The best time to visit the Dambana Vedda Village |
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The Dambana Vedda Village can be visited all year round. |
Joining the Veddas of Sri Lanka in their village gives visitors a unique opportunity to get a firsthand experience of the Vedda culture which remains relatively untarnished by modern technology and commercialization. The Veddas are devoted to their traditions and visitors get to meet with Uruwarige Wanniyaleththo, Chief of the Veddas. According to tribe rules, visitors cannot participate in communal activities without his permission. Once it is granted, close observation of Vedda culture is possible, as is participation in some of their activities.
Dambanais a remote jungle village, where the original indigenous people of Sri Lanka still reside. The Veddas preserve a direct line of descent from the island's original Neolithic community dating back from at least 18,000 BC. Veddas were originally hunter-gatherers, with the women of the tribe staying at home to tend to family. They used bows and arrows to hunt game, and also gathered wild plants and honey. The original dwellings of the Veddas consisted of caves and rock shelters. Many elaborate cave paintings have been discovered in Sri Lanka, painted mainly by the womenfolk whilst waiting for their men to return from the hunt.
The Dambana Vedda Village has become a destination for ecotourism in the recent past. It is one of last remaining places where visitors can see how these unique tribes exist from day to day. The Veddas have a simple way of life in the jungle. Their culture is a hunting one, and that used to be the main activity with which they passed their time. However, the inability to hunt today is a cause for great concern among these people. Government regulations have resulted in many of the Veddas having to earn a living by means of agriculture in order to survive. Modern times and convenience have affected these people, and their numbers have dwindled in the recent past. Thus, the Veddas now face the threat of extinction and the world stands to lose a rich body of indigenous lore and living ecological wisdom that the indigenous people of Sri Lanka live by.
Veddas were famously known for their rich meat diet, derived from the animals they hunted in the forest. This diet included venison, rabbit, wild boar and even monitor lizards. The Veddas killed only for food and did not harm young or pregnant animals. Game was commonly shared amongst the family and clan. Another Vedda delicacy is dried meat preserve soaked in honey. In the olden days, the Veddas used to preserve such meat in the hollow of a tree, enclosing it with clay. Though originally living in caves, the Veddas of today live in unpretentious huts of wattle, daub and thatch.
Being privy to a culture that is thousands of years old and now facing the threat of extinction is a truly special experience - one that you would undoubtedly want to immerse yourself in wholeheartedly. And with Mahoora tented safari camps you can do just that. Mahoora tented safari camps are set up in the forest that borders the Dambana Village as outsiders are prohibited from living with the tribe. You also minimize on your travel time in and out of the village. For a full list of Mahoora tented safari camping options, please visit our accommodation page. However if you prefer accommodation at a hotel nearby just let us know and we can arrange that for you as well.
From Colombo, travel towards Kandy taking the A2 route. Then, take the A26 route to reach Dambana via Mahiyangana. You can also travel by air taxi and take off from Colombo (Peliyagoda) and land in Kandy. From Kandy reach Dambana by road taking the A26 route via Mahiyangana. If you wish to travel by helicopter, you can take off either from the Bandaranaike Airport or from Ratmalana and land in Dambana. From there reach the village by road.
