Dolukanda in the Hiripitiya village in the Ibbagamuwa Divisional Secretariat division is a well known herbal garden in Sri Lanka.
According to history, Dolukanda was the herbarium of King Buddhadasa who was interested in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. It is said that he was a king who amazed the world with his Ayurvedic medicine. The king has treated people as well as animals. There is another story to be read about the history of Dolukanda. According to the story of Ramayana, Rama’s doctors had asked Hanuman to go to Himalaya forest and bring a medicinal the plant. After going to the Himalaya, Hanuman was unable to identify the herb and the story goes that the part where he believed to have the herb came up a whole mountain. It is said that the mountain was brought down from the sky and several sections of it fell into Dolukanda and two other places.
Dolukanda is a place where valuable and rare herbs such as Dutusathutu , Iraraja, Sandaraja, Maha Hedaya, Kuda Hedaya, Sulu Nai , Maha Nai, Kalukohila, Binkohomba, Visha Kumba, Raja Kumba Mayurapada and Nagameru a la are found in abundance and they are believed to cure any disease.
Dolukanda is designated as a reserve under the Forest Conservation Department due to its archaeological and botanical value. Villagers around Dolukanda said that water bodies at the top are medicinal ponds.
There are two routes to Dolukanda; one is to take the Dambulla road from the Muttetugala junction to the Wellawa-Ganewatta road and proceed to Dolukanda. The other route is to take the Kurunegala - Dambulla road to Ibbagamuwa and from there take the Madagalla road, reach the Godagala junction and travel through the village of Doluwa to Dolukanda through a paddy field.
At the top of the mountain, there is a forest cave where the bhikkhus had meditated. History records that three kings: Mahasena, Kithsirimevan, Devana Detuthis, who ruled from 276 A.D. to 347 A.D. had used Dolukanda as their fortress.According to legend, Kuveni had lived in a cave close to Dolukanda.
Farmers living at the foot of Dolukanda murmur the following poems while they are at work in their paddy fields even today.
Villagers say that organised gangs are stealing valuable medicinal herbs such as white sandal wood, red sandalwood and Dutusatutu.
Ruins of a ancient Dagaba remain at the top of the mountain.
The herbarium is about 700 feet above sea level and spreads about five kilometres. “There herbs are rich in nutrition and medicinal value. They can be grown only on this mountain because of its unique weather ,” a veteran farmer said.
Villagers living at the foot of Dolukanda call upon the authorities to take action to protect this valuable herbarium for the use of future generations.
“Siyaluma gam hondai Dolukanda Dele
Palawelarasai emakande Himale
Gal weda hondai Dutugemunuge raja kale
Muhuda penai Dolukandata wai thale
“All the villages around Dolukanda are good
Fruits brought from Himalaya are very tasty
All stone work done during the reign of King Dutugemunu are wonderful
You can see the sea from here early in the morning”
“Dolukande gal dora ara penenne
Gala mudune ran thoranaki bandinne
Ran thorane ran giraweki laginne
Dolukande deviyo api reka denne”
“There you can see the stone door of Dolukanda
A golden pandal is erected on the rock
A golden parrot is perched on the golden pandal
The God at Dolukanda protect us for ever”