Sunset on the East Coast - Kudimbigala, Sri Lanka

Kudumbigala is the name of an abandoned region in Sri Lanka in the jungle belonging to the villagers of Panama, situated close to the Kumbukkan Oya estuary in Yala East National Park. Nearby is Okanda Devale, a temple shrine dedicated to Skanda-Murukan, situated on a rocky outcrop along the seacoast. The Park is visited via the Eastern Province through the town of Pottuvil (Arugam Bay), the village of Panama and then along a gravel road through Helawa to Kudimbigala and Okanda.There were once several Panama families living in Kudimbigala during the cultivation season. The escalation of the war led to the villagers as well as the Department of Wildlife Conservation fleeing the area. Except for the Special Task Force of the Sri Lanka Police who are in control of Panama, this area is now a gray area, frequented by only transient guerrillas, passing military, and food gatherers.