Paramaulla Geta Kumbuk Tree and Ambalama
Photo credit: Google Street View The Paramaulla Geta Kumbuk Tree (Sinhala: පරමාඋල්ල ගැට කුඹුක් ගස) situated in Paramaulla village in Kurunegala District is believed to be one of the Historic and Ancient Trees in Sri Lanka . The tree is located on the wayside of Alawwa-Maharagama road near the junction that leads the road to Paramaulla Tempita Viharaya.
It is a Kumbuk tree (scientific name: Terminalia arjuna ), a tree of the genus Terminalia . According to the information board set up by the Central Environment Authority, the history of this tree is related to King Vijayabahu III (1232-1236 A.D.) of Dambadeniya . It is said that this tree stood on the bund of the small reservoir called Paramaulla Wewa, which is now turned into paddy fields. The bund of this tank now served as a part of the road. Due to the knotty appearance of the lower part of the trunk, this tree is known among the locals as Geta-Kumbuk Gasa. Kumbuk trees are said to have water purification abilities and therefore, they we…
