Although said to have had the strength equal to that of ten elephants, in his younger days Nimala preferred to stay idle at home while his brothers worked in the family’s paddy fields.

When an order was issued by the King to send one male to serve in his army, Nimala’s brothers picked him to be sent, feeling that he was no use to the family.

After joining a company south of the Mahaweli River under a prince named Digabhaya, Nimala was sent on an errand to deliver a message to a Brahmin.

Having set off at dawn, Nimala is said to have finished the journey in a few hours, covering a distance of thirty four leagues.

Suranimala played a key role in the decisive battle for one of King Elara’s last strongholds, the fortress of Vijithapura.