The talk on Indigenous knowledge in Sri Lanka; at the Orientation program, 2024 at Faculty of Indigenous Social Sciences and Management Studies, Gampaha Wicremarrachchi University of Indigenous medicine 

What is indigenous knowledge??

 Indigenous knowledge refers to understandings, skills, and philosophies developed by local communities with long histories and experiences of interaction with their natural surroundings according to the UNESCO

 Is that true….?

Either it is true or not, it is the backbone of your country, your society and your culture. The indigenous knowledge is not static it is dynamic changing over the time again as per the changing environment due to climate change.

Climate change controls everything; the environment, people, society, culture, language etc. We are products of climate change, our society is a product of climate change, our culture is a product of climate change. World cannot be escaped from climate change hence the indigenous knowledge. It is unique. Uniqueness and diversity is everywhere.

For an example take two countries such as England and Sri Lanka. England which is cold is a European country while Sri Lanka is a tropical country. Both are located in two different climatic zones. Think about their cultures. England people dress black coats and ties, eat solid food such as breads, drink vine and soup not water normally and speak fast. But Sri Lankans wear white cotton dresses, eat rice and curries, talk rhythmically drink water frequently and take baths daily not like Englishman. You can see how climate has defined two different cultures.

Once highly developed country was Sri Lanka; now today in a very difficult situation due to many issues. Sri Lanka where we live was a self-sufficient country with good people good culture and good society. Now everything has been vanished and spoiled. No new knowledge is created. People are poisonous, their thoughts are poisonous, their activities are poisonous, their interactions are poisonous. This is the real situation in the country today. 

 I should say that our culture has been developed more than 2500 years of time as we have written evidences but it might have gone back to 6000 years in the past where Pulasthi Rishi lived. Pulasthi rishi is the founder of Sri Lankan indigenous knowledge. He developed a highly sophisticated technologies even the ability of dealing with the extra-terrestrial habitats. He was able to make connection with them and share the knowledge among each other.

 As per the hindu stories Vaidik books such as Rig, Yajur and Samman was brought to the world by Pulasthi rishi. King Ravana was his Grandson who was a warrior, scientist, technologist, philosopher. Innovator and inventor. He developed many things including engineering, architecture, agriculture, space science, garments, medicines and other sciences too. He was the disseminator of the knowledge of Pulasthi Rishi. 

 The indigenous knowledge system built in Sri Lanka was further faceted and polished by the influence of Buddhism. That’s because Pulasthi Rishi and King Ravana made the country sound for the establishment of Buddhism to a long run.

 Those are some facts of our ancient knowledge which is known as indigenous. Without taking much time I will give some examples today we can observe in the country.

 First I would like to take your attention to ancient agriculture and related irrigation technologies.

 Water was a prime concern in life, society and culture of the ancient people. We had a mighty irrigation system where civil engineering, aerodynamics, geology, geomorphology, soil sciences, surveying, hydrology, biology and many other sciences have been highly applied. For example, applied technology of damming was wonderful, hence mighty reservoirs were built; Parakrama samudray is a such building. YODA Ela reflects the climax of engineering technology in indigenous knowledge of ancient Sri Lanka. Selection of locations to be dammed were perfectly understood and the knowledge on geomorphology was excellently applied. For example, recently located damming places have been discovered as ancient dams. It says the precise measurements in architecture and engineering surveys.  The materials to be used in dams were well understood. Fine clay core of dam avoids the water leakages from the dam and packing the reservoir bottom with clay confirms the impermeability of bottom layer. The clay was caught with rubble materials to avoid the impact of waves of the reservoirs. 

 Ancient people were remarkably keen on water conservation and management. How they conserve the water is anyone could drink water from any place of reservoir and a canal, even from the “WAKKADA” in the paddy field. Bisokotuwa is a great engineering innovation for the water conservation and management. Water liliy’s in reservoirs not only for beauty but also for conservation of water in reservoirs by cutting the evaporation lost. But ancient people think about the need of environmental nourishment too, hence they didn’t cover the reservoir totally. Planting Kumubuk trees gives a great support for water purification. Those are rich in wew thawulla.  Water purification was a prime concern of the ancient people. Archaeological research done at Jethawanaya has discovered a treatment plant made up of series of clay pots composed of material such as charcoal and sand.  Those had been used to purify the effluents coming from toilets. Hence we may understand the knowledge and also the concern on environmental protection during the ancient time.

 The additional rain water collected at the top reservoir of the catchment was transferred to the next elevation level by constructing another reservoir and it was continued until the level of elevation permits further flowing in downward. This system is known as ELLANGAWA which is totally the indigenous knowledge of Sri Lankan people. Ancient irrigation system developed and focused on the agricultural activities which were enormously supported by indigenous knowledge.

 The ancient people in the country had a greater deal with the environment and the weather/climate. Ancient agriculturalist or farmer had fully utilized his time in the field and lived with the environment. Preparing the field was manual using water buffalos, from which many benefits were received, such as fertilizer requirement from dun and urine of buffalos, avoiding loss of existing nutrition in soil and water management. Maximum use of water was achieved from the preparation of cascade system of fields. Cultivation of legumes such as Cassia, Maduca (Mee) etc within the field, fulfil the requirement of nitrate and fruits of those trees invite bats like creatures which add phosphate to the field. 

 According to some facts discovered from various research on ancient techniques of farming, fertilizer was not a limiting factor. The farmers were well aware of movement of sun and moon and also the earth. Hence they were able to understand the seasonal changes occurred in the environment. The knowledge of planetary revolving brought to the public by some cultural events. The best example of understanding the movement of solar system is the “TELME Dance” from “Pahatharata sampradaya”. A set of dancers dance in a circle by rotating around their self with a slight tilt. It reflects the rotation of earth around the sun with the tilt of 23.5 degrees. Ancient people knew this before Milutin MIlankitch who introduced his theory in 1990s on the movement of solar system that governs the climate of earth.

 Ancient people had a wonderful understanding of behavior of light from sun. They knew the seven energies of sun light such as VIBGYOR. They knew time of the different energies of the light receives the earth. Since the earth is globe, light energy coming from sun is scattered to differentiate into the seven energies. When the sun is on the tropic of Capricorn at south in December, the next is turning back. Until the January we get the cold climate. Because the sun is considerably away from Sri Lanka. Trees fall the leaves. Fallen leaves get decomposed adding nutrition to the soil. Hence trees with left leaves are able to grow new roots. While emerging new roots, leaves are appeared on the branches. This is engaged with the movement of the sun. This means due to the sun and the earth and the water vapor in the atmosphere create a prism by which the light breaks into different colors; that mean different energies. Different energies receive at different times influence the activities of a tree or a plant. The ancient people had understood this changes in different times known as “ CARANAYA”. Different CURANA represents the different stages of plant growth. This has been well understood and followed well for the cultivating any crop in ancient time. To disseminate the knowledge ancient people created the “GOVI LITHA” where the times are defined for each activity to be started. This is known as “NAKATH”. Even the ancient people has understood receiving of different energy levels (colors) even the day time. This refers as HORAWA. In the morning time,  the vegetables of which leaves and fruits are used are planted and in the evening, the plants of which yams are used are planted. The change of energy levels is well understood. And also they followed the moon calendar too for the planting different plants in their garden. Some days in the weeks have been chosen for planting specific vegetables and also the Time of the day (Known as WARUWA).

 There are no words called “pests and weeds” in vocabulary of ancient agriculture and those were just part of the agricultural system. No killing of pest but only controlling was adopted. Maintaining water level, using cactus milk, resins etc, keeping a forest patch close by, making sound generators, bio controllers, changing of rice varieties with seasons, ets are some of the techniques used. Not only that, farmer got his family cooperation to control the weeds and pests too.

 Ancient farmers had the special capability or sense to understand the change in the weather pattern very early either short or long. They had sensed and noticed the changes in different plant species and organisms that get ready for the coming change in weather. Growth pattern of some plants and behavioral changes of animals such as weaver bird, Koha and swift had been used extensively. For an example, weaver bird gives a wonderful information on seasonal changes in weather and it’s magnitude. They build their nests at lower branches of the MAYILA tree at the ancient reservoirs (WEWA). It means no rain or very little rain from the coming monsoon. If they build their nests on the branches at the higher levels of the trees, it means heavy rain is coming hence they want to avoid their nests to be flooded by reservoir water. The swift appeared in the sky if the rain is coming in the evening. And very hot days define the rain in the evening during the inter monsoons too. Some cactus such as DALUK has a segmented body. Those segments are shorten during the rainy period. This means they have no need of water stored. But the segments grown large if a dry period is coming. They get ready for the dry period coming in the future. Ancient people were keen on observing and capturing the changes in environment very well. Those were engaged with the daily routines of life and farming.

Knowledge of plants in ancient people were enormous. As considered by them most are herbs using for any kind of sickness or disease. The instant medicine what they called “ATH BEHETH” were well known by everyone in the society. The changes in the concentration of particular organic chemical that influence the health of a person in herb with 24 hours of time was well known. Hence the particular time was selected to extract any chemical from that particular plant. The WEDA MAHATHAYA ; THE RISHI in the village was the expert in botany and medicine.

 The changes in moon is also applied in many activities. They well understood the increase of water content in a plant during the moon is appeared, especially full moon Poyaday, the plants and trees absorb high amount of water. When the moon is coming up, ancient people didn’t cut any tree to use for wood work since those wood can be rotten and decomposed due to the heavy water content. They had wonderful knowledge on Seasoning the woods. The woods were submerged in mud where the activities of oxic environment is inhibited. But anoxic conditions maintained, the wood get well seasoned due to removing the oxygen in the wood. It is escaped from decomposing then. The building made of such treated woods were long lasting. Best examples are MALIGAWA at Kandy and EMBEKKE devalaya.

 The famous building material in ancient time was stones. The knowledge of geology is excited. In Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods, the buildings were dominated by stone works even the carvings and decorations. The geoarchaeological research shows that different kind of stones (rock types) have been used for such building construction. Long lasting building made by stones were Buddhist temples and monasteries.  Quarrying of rocks in A’pura period characterized with mechanical process where oval shaped wedging holes were made. But in Polonnaruwa period it was changed totally to a chemical process by which the rocks were easily split. It is evidenced by the rectangular shaped wedging holes. Hence it can be identified that both period has different types of quarrying styles showing the influence of improved indigenous knowledge.

 I should mention here that I was able to understand the statue called king or sage is definitely a statue of a sage most probably it is PULASTHI rishi, based on the quarrying techniques. The quarrying technique observed at the statue belongs to Apura period but not Polonnaruwa period. This is a remarkable finding but many doesn’t know and doesn’t care.

 Most of the industries were centralized with the agricultural activities. In brief, ancient irrigation engineering, metal (iron, copper) extraction, stone quarrying, clay industries were some of them. The traditional knowledge which is an asset was well practiced, evaluated and confirmed by the ancient people and recommended for the future generations. Interestingly, those each and every activity had been followed in a similar way of the scientific method that has been adopted today. 

 It is well understood that traditional knowledge is how powerful, useful and sustainable in environmental protection while utilizing them by humans, though I was able to brief a drop of the traditional knowledge existed at the moment in Sri Lanka. Sometime we may think this is not possible to apply the traditional knowledge in a large scale to achieve such an economy, hence the real challenge with us is to bring them back to fit with the global scale.

 I strongly believe more research and experiments are needed for re-establishing the country’s traditional knowledge leading to a low carbon green growth from which both people and environment is secured and sustained.  And there may be a space within the low carbon green growth strategies proposed by UNESCAP for empowering the traditional knowledge of each country within the region. 

 I think I have mentioned a lot about the indigenous knowledge of Sri Lanka in brief, but there are many more to discover. We need rediscovering and you are responsible for it. So I thank you very much for the opportunity given by the faculty for this briefing and also thank you very much your kind attention.

 Finally  I think I should mention is this.

 "You have enormous opportunities in the world. Go and find and explore the opportunities suitable for you. Win the noble prize".

Thank you