User:Kasunhashanga/Madduma Bandara

Ehelepola Medduma Bandara
ඇහැලෙපොල මද්දුම බණ්ඩාර
Ehelepola with Molligoda, Kapuvatta and D'Oyly
Died	(1814-05-17)May 17, 1814 Lake of Bogambara, Kandy, Kingdom of Kandy
Cause of death	Beheaded on the orders of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha
Monuments	The memorable tower of Medduma Bandara (Built by the “Madduma Bandara Weera Lama Peramuna” in memory of Ehelepola Madduma Bandara inside the Sri Dalada Maligawa premises).
Parent(s)	Ehelepola Adigar (father) Ehelepola Kumarihami (Mother)

Madduma Bandara also known as Ehelepola Medduma Bandara (Sinhala: ඇහැලෙපොල මද්දුම බණ්ඩාර), was a child hero of Kandyan Kingdom. Madduma Bandara lived during the reign of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha; the last monarch of Sri Lanka.

Family and background

Ehelepola Adigar was his farther, who was a minister in the court of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. His mother was Ehelepola Kumarihami, sister of Keppetipola Disawe, whose uncle was Pilamatalawa Maha Adikaram, Prime Minister to Sri Vikrama Rajasinha.

Execution

Due to the bad activities of the King, Ehelepola Adigar did not obey his orders and had to flee away for safety. The king was very angry on him and determined to take revenge. The innocent wife and children of Ehelepola were brought before the King and ordered whole Ehelepola family to be executed, males were ordered to be beheaded while the female children were put to the rice pounder. Ehelepola Kumarihami and children who were in the Walauwa (the present Kandy Remand Prison), were taken in a procession to Deva Sanhinda for execution. On May 17th in the year 1814, they were brought near to the lake of Bogambara and king ordered to execute his elder brother, ten years old Loku Banda by cutting the head off the neck first. It was his elder brother who dared not to come to forward, having seen the executioner ran and hid under the mothers saree. The seven-year old Madduma Bandara was a brave boy, he marched up to the executor like a hero and said "Fear not brother, I will show you how to face the death" and turning to the executors said "cut my neck with one shot" then let the executor to do it. Later the wife of Ehelepola adigar and her cousin sister were drowned in lake of Bogambara. Thus the name of Madduma Bandara was written in the history of Sri Lanka. Ten months after this tragedy the people of the Kandyan Kingdom entered into the historical Kandyan Treaty of 2nd March 1815.

Official Governor's report

Sir John D'Oyly officially reported to Governor Robert Brownrigg on 23rd May 1814 that 73 rebels and their children and domestic aides were beheaded on this day. Among them were the nephews of Ehelepola, the Dissava of Nuwarakalawiya - Pussella his wife and children. It was the innocent children of Ehelepola and Pussella who paid the supreme sacrifice for the struggle of their parents and grand patents. The entire Kingdom wept for weeks and no fire was lit in any house for three days. The curse and prayer of the people for vengeance was answered when the king could not live in peace in his Kingdom for the ten months until he was finally captured on the 19th February 1815 with the assistance of the people.