Not for me any way. Do read on. Few of you may know but most would not even believe that “Jawagé – wattha” as it was known in early 20th century, was the largest energy source for the transport service that trekked to and from the Colombo port and the Pettah. To the bullock carts that brought in Copra, Rubber sheets, Areca (Puwak) Nut, Plumbago and even vegetables. In a heavy day with good weather, over two hundred bullock carts wound their way into the Fort – Pettah area, almost all with two oxen tied to pull the load. And how much grass would these beasts of burden need when they had no option but to stay over the night?
That’s where the original Jawagé – wattha fitted into the picture of old Colombo. An important supplementary service to keep the commercial economy going. Grass to feed the oxen. But why call it “Jawagé – wattha”? Obviously, the whole grassland area was owned by a man of Malaysian origin. To be more precise, from the Indonesian archipelago. There were many who were brought from those island countries that included Java from the time of the Dutch. The Brits too added more during their early part in this island. Some Javanese even served in the Colonial Police force. Heard of the Police platoon that was sent to capture the benevolent bandit Sardiel in the mountains? That is said to have had many Javanese police constables.
This man, a Javanese perhaps, came to own the grassland that stretched from the vicinity of the Colombo Race Course, haphazardly covering the entire expanse that now includes Summit Flats, to the further end of the little foot road that’s Jayaratne Mawatha today at the Thimbirigasyaya side, where my paternal grand father had his little carpentry shed bordering the grassland. On the East of the grassland stretching towards the present Torrington Avenue, had been patches of slum dwellings and bare land on which the carters spent their nights and the oxen rested with feed.
There was this little road that cut through the lush grassland which was then “Jawagé wattha” and the slum dwellings which connected the slightly bigger Thimbirigasyaya Road to the Buller’s Road. At that end of the connection was the sprawling garden of the famous Dr. R.L. Spittle with his bungalow “The Wycherley” facing the Buller’s Road and opposite the “Pissang – kotuwa”(Lunatic Asylum). This area probably extending up to the present Borella Cemetery, was then called, “Koombi-kelé.
Before the Second World War, with Malaria breaking in as an epidemic, the Incurable Diseases Hospital (IDH) was established in Angoda and the Lunatic Asylum (Pissang-kotuwa) shifted there. No doubt the mentally depressed or ill were never cured then and was considered “incurables”. The “Pissang – kotuwa” thus falling vacant was subsequently used to start and station the “Radio Ceylon” which is now the SLBC (No pun attached).
On the other end, the Thimbirigasyaya Road bordered the Wallace’s Stable, one of the biggest stables with the best bred horses. It covered the larger part between Thimbirigasyaya Road and Fife Road. But how that road came to be known as Fife Road I wouldn’t know. For all horse races that were part of the elite life in Colombo, the best in the Wallace’s stable were marched by “Kudirakarans” to the Race Course through the little road along Jawagé – wattha.
This road that stretched through Jawagé – wattha was not only used by horses. It was used by all others in little townships and settlements that dotted the Kirulapone and Pamankada area to reach the Mariyakadé (Present Symond’s Road side of Maradana) area for small buying like tobacco and betel. So did my father and his elder brother, to go to school. Two of them walked from Jayaratne Mawatha through Jawagé – wattha and passing “Pissang – kotuwa”, one to go to Wesley College and the other to Nalanda Vidyalaya. All the way on foot with just an “isso wade” for quarter of a copper cent bought from a Kochin vendor who lived in Sudu-wélla, from the “One Cent” given to each, as the day's expense.
By the time the Second World War approached, automobiles had come to ply the Colombo roads and the Slave Island, Maradana, Kotahena areas had Tram cars for commuting. Importance of bullock carts were gradually being challenged by noisy, pong – pong horn tooting lorries. Colombo was growing and the road along Jawagé – wattha was also turning into an important connecting route. Then came the World War with Ceylon put under marshal law and food rationed. Nights were dark even under the full moon, with no lights or lamps allowed for fear of aerial bombings. The talk of “Japs” trying to bomb the Colombo port caught on fast and loud in the city.
Panic thus made Colombo a chaotic city with many wanting to leave. Many did leave to their villages. They could not go without money in their hands, for they did not know whether they could come back at all. Even if they did, when? And there were those who did not have a village to go, but still wanted to turn what ever they had accumulated into hard coins. What if the Japs bombed Colombo and left nothing but rubble? Hard money in hand would at least give another start to life, when ever the war ended. So the lands and property went up cheap. The Javanese approached my grand father and offered his grass land for sale.
“Baas unnehé, I’m going back. Want to sell all this land. For you, I will give at fifty cents per acre.” Jawagé – wattha was thus on sale.
“What can I do with those grass man…..don’t even have a cow to feed.” said my grand father who instead thought of going back to his own village, Kalutara.
By the time the war ended, there was no grassland remaining. The baas unnehé down Jayaratne Mawatha was therefore not there to see the Jawagé – wattha getting parcelled into few smaller plots over the years and within a short time, after the war. No Jawagé – wattha any more. Big bungalows had come up with sprawling gardens on Jawagé – wattha and on either side of the little road that by then had become Jawatte Road. One of the most expensive, elite areas in Colombo, for a long time to come.
[Originally written to http://serendibinc.com/Home/Sigiriya/tabid/109/Default.aspx on 2007 March, 09 and is published here, with little editing]
Kusal Perera
2011 December, 23
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