Meemure Village

Meemure lies in a secluded valley on the eastern side of the Knuckles mountain range, about 324 metres above sea level. It is roughly 50 kilometres from Kandy town, with the last 33 kilometres beyond Hunnasgiriya narrowing into a winding, partly technical track. The journey passes through Hunnasgiriya and Corbet's Gap, opening onto forested peaks, paddy fields, and traditional village homes before it reaches the village.

The Gramasevaka division of Meemure counts around 125 families, most living off paddy cultivation, and the village remains largely self-sufficient. It has three schools: Meemure Primary School, said to be more than 200 years old, Kaikawela Madya Maha Vidyalaya, roughly 50 years old, and the more recently built Kumbukgolla School. Farming, forest paths, and the surrounding mountains still set the pace of daily life.

Local tradition holds that the village takes its name from the Mee tree, once common in the area, and that Lakegala, the triangular peak overlooking Meemure, served as a watchtower for King Ravana — some versions of the story add a hidden tunnel linking it to his fortress. Villagers also speak of caves nearby once mined for saltpetre, supplying gunpowder used against colonial forces during the Kandyan kingdom era. None of this is documented outside oral history, but it is how the place accounts for itself.