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| Gannoruwa Agricultural Farm |
It is easier to visit New Ranweli Spice Garden for those who visit Peradeniya Botanical Garden. Simply take the SUSPENSION BRIDGE inside the peradeniya royal botanical garden and make it to the other side of the river, take the road (Gannoruwa Muruthalawa RD) right opposite the SUSPENSION BRIDGE, from there it is just around 800m to New Ranweli Spice Garden.
Historical Importance of The Location of New Ranweli Spice Garden
Gannoruwa
Around 374 years ago the famous Gannoruwa battle was fought between the Portuguese and the Sinhalese. Historians believe if the Portuguese were able to defeat the Sinhalese during this battle, the year that the whole of Sri Lanka was captured by a Western Power wouldn't be 1815 but 1638. It was because the Gannoruwa battle was so decisive and brutal and known as one of the bloodiest battles fought in Sri Lanka. Ever since the Portuguese landed in Sri Lanka in 1505 locals were trying to find a way to drive them out of the country. Portuguese on the other hand always were planning on capturing the entire country. To accomplish their goal they had to invade the kingdom of Kandy because Kandy had always been independent and the thick jungle surrounding Kandy always provided protection. In the sense kandy was sort of a fortress. In fact many foreign nations tried to capture the kingdom of Kandy and failed. Portuguese too with the leadership of a bravr general named Diogo De Mello made an attempt to capture the Kingdom of Kandy. But when the portuguse came to Kandy they found to their surprise the entire place abandoned. This was similar to what happened to Napoleon and his army when they went to Russia. Sinhalese knowing that they did not stand a chance against the trained Portuguese soldiers had abandoned Kandy and gone into the jungles. De Mello and the Portuguese soldiers believed that the Sinhalese have escaped out of fear, started looting the whole Kandy city and started marching towards Danture and Gannoruwa. These areas were thick jungles and the Sinhalese who were hiding in these areas started attacking the Portuguese. Here in the Gannoruwa battle, it is said that the Portuguese were severely defeated and only a few could escape and return home alive.