Jungle Village of the Veddas

Snapshot

Sri Lanka’s indigenous inhabitants, the Veddas or Wanniya-laeto (forest- dwellers), preserve a direct line of descent from the islands’ original Neolithic community dating from at least 16,000 BC. The Veddas have repeatedly been forced to choose between assimilating into the surrounding mainstream cultures or to retreat into a shrinking forest habitat. The few remaining Vedda communities are determined that their way of life will continue into future generations and still retains much of their own distinctive cultural identity, indigenous language, a traditional lifestyle and occupations including hunting, honey gathering, and chena cultivation. A visit to Dambana will give an opportunity for visitors to meet and interact with this community of indigenous people and learn about their lifestyle.