Heeloya, in the Medadumbara Division of Kandy District, is part of the Knuckles Mountain Range region known for its rich biodiversity and scenic landscapes. Historical records and local inscriptions indicate that some paddy lands around Heeloya were dedicated to Bambaragala Cave Temple as early as the 2nd or 3rd century BCE. Today, Heeloya is promoted as a “tourism village” by the Central Province Tourism Department, emphasizing its agricultural heritage, the surrounding waterfalls, rivers, traditional paddy cultivation, and forested hills.

In recent studies and interviews, villagers have expressed a desire that tourism should not simply bring outsiders in, but should distribute benefits widely among the community: better infrastructure, improved services, and more opportunities for all households. The main livelihoods remain paddy farming, gardenering, livestock raising, spice cultivation, traditional handicrafts, beekeeping, and small‐scale forest product gathering. Some aspects of labour sharing, mutual aid, and communal decision-making still persist, though the barter economy (especially of salt or other non-local goods) appears less documented in recent sources.