Utuwankande Sura Saradiel

Gunpowder firearms used By Uthuwankande Sura Saradiel & his mate Mammale Marikkar 1-Firearm used by Mammale Marikkar
2-Firearm used by Uthuwankande Sura Saradiel

Constable Sabhan Memorial Mawanella.

The Prison Cell of Utuwankande Sura Saradiel.

Arrest Warrant Reward Notice (Ceylon Gazette 13th Jan 1864)

Lakrivikirana Paper (06th May 1864) on Sura Saradiel.

Sura Saradiel's lifelong friend Mammale Marikkar after taken into Custody in 1864.

Saradiel briefly took to thievery, distributing his stolen items amongst the poor villagers. However he left the area to Colombo and worked as a barrack boy at the Rifle Barracks, learning much about weapons before leaving, taking several firearms with him.

Thereafter he took to highway robbery, becoming a notable outlaw in the district for much of his exploits. Charges were brought on him for killing Natakoti Chettiar a rich merchant and he was arrested. Due to a lack of evidence, he was set free. A warrant for his arrest was issued after a robbery at the Molligoda Walauwa. He then briefly left the area, going to his father's in Chilaw. When his father refused to shelter him, he returned to the mountain of Utuwankande, which he had made his hideout for numerous raids.

He was arrested Pillawatte near Negombo after a struggle that lead to the Police informant being stabbed by him. Saradiel was taken to court in Hultsdorf, Colombo to stand trial for murder, yet he managed to escape from Mahara Prison. Soon after he was arrested at Utuwankande only to escape again.

Returning to Utuwankande hill in Mawanella he formed a gang of robbers, made raids on carriages and coaches on the highway to Kandy from Colombo. Soon these attacks spread to Rambukkana, Polgahawela and Kurunegala. Resulting in his exploits becoming famous throughout the island and the British administrators increasing the police units in the area. Travelers resorted to armed escorts.

In an effort to capture him he was surrounded at his mother's home, when he went to visit her. In the shootout that ensued he escaped and made his way to Matale. At this point Sirimale, one of Saradiel's band defected and became an informant to the police.

On 21 March 1864 he was drawn to a house in Mawanella. On a tip off, a police party surrounded the house. They found Saradiel there with Mammalay Marikkar. Sgt. Ahamath fired at Saradiel first and wounded him; Mammalay Marikkar fired killing Constable Shaban. Escaping from the house, Sgt. Ahamath stood guard outside the only door, preventing the bandits' escape. The Assistant Government Agent Kegalle F.R. Saunders soon arrived on the scene with a detachment of Ceylon Rifles. Seeing that resistance was futile, the two surrendered.

Taken to Kandy, they were tried at Kandy Assize by an English-speaking jury before Justice Thompson, with Richard Morgan prosecuting as crown advocate. The jury found them guilty: Both were sentenced to death. They were taken to the gallows on 7 May 1864, with many coming to see the famed Saradiel. Before his execution he addressed the crowd. A folk lore to the effect that a letter from the Queen Victoria, which accidentally read: 'kill him, not let him go', when it was supposed to be: 'kill him not, let him go', was misinterpreted and he was sentenced to death; is fake.

Beligammana Raja Maha Viharaya, one of the temples where Sura Saradiel studied when younger.

Saradiel distributed much of his plunder among the poor, and never stole from them. Due to this he was referred to as the "Robin Hood of Sri Lanka". Due to much of his raids were targeting British and their native supports, who had gain wealth as the lower and medium levels of the colonial administration, he gain much popularity among the poor villagers who were opposed to the British. As a result, many consider his actions just and Saradiel rebel against British rule rather than a bandit.

Constable Shaban was killed on 21 March 1864 in the attempt to apprehend Saradiel, and was the first Ceylonese / Sri Lankan policemen to be killed in the line of duty. March 21 is when fallen Sri Lanka Police are commemorated.

His brother was the sculptor of St. Joseph on the facade of St Joseph's Church Wennappuwa.

• Robin Hood
• Jesse James
• Ned Kelly

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Utuwankande Sura Saradiel.

• Utuwankande Saradiel - The Black Robinhood of Sri Lanka, By Imala Abeyrathne.
• Saradiel - the Robin Hood of Sri Lanka, by W.T.A. leslie Fernando Sunday Observer
• Exploits of Utuwankande Saradiel - The Robinhood of Lanka
• The Soora Saradiel saga by Bhanuka Kirinde