Traditional Farming and Culture

 

The old Sinhala proverb "When the mud is washed away, the farmer is fit for kingship" clearly shows the value of agriculture that has existed since ancient times. Accordingly, it is clear how highly the farmer and farming were regarded in the past. As mentioned in the "Thonigala" inscription dating back to the time of King Siri Meghavarna, our ancient ancestors carried out their farming activities under three seasons, namely Pitadasha, Madehasa and Akalahasa. In this way, farming was carried out throughout the year only in areas where water could be supplied by tanks, and today it can be seen that the Sinhalese carry out cultivation activities under two seasons, Yala and Maha.



Another creation closely related to traditional farming is the tank. Ancient documents state that the first tank in Sri Lanka was built by King Pandukabhaya. Ancient people celebrated the first release of water from a lake for farming as a "water festival" as a way of expressing gratitude for the water source needed for their livelihood, agriculture.

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