Madduma Bandara Ehelapola

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Madduma Bandara Ehelapola (born 1806 in Kandy, Sri Lanka – died 17 May 1814) is remembered as a child hero of Sri Lanka. He came from a noble Sinhalese family. His father, Ehelapola Maha Adikaram, was the Disawe (leader) of Sabaragamuwa, and his mother was Kumarihamy. He had an older brother, Loku Bandara, and two sisters, Tikiri Menike and Dingiri Menike. His uncle was Keppetipola Disawe, a Kandyan leader.

In 1814, the Kandyan kingdom faced the British. The king, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, believed Ehelapola was helping the rebellion, based on false information. Ehelapola himself was in British custody in Colombo, but the king arrested his wife and children. On 17 May 1814, the king had Ehelapola’s sons beheaded. His wife Kumarihamy and his daughters were drowned in Bogambara Lake by tying stones around their necks. Madduma Bandara, the youngest son, stepped forward and asked to be beheaded with a single strike, preferring a quick death.

Bandara’s bravery made him a legendary child hero in Sri Lanka. His family’s deaths are remembered as a tragic part of the country’s history. His uncle Keppetipola Disawe would later play a key role in Kandyan events after the Kandyan Convention of 1815.