Appallagoda Ambalama

The Appallagoda Ambalama is an old wayside rest in the village of Appallagoda in Kandy District, Sri Lanka.

History

Ambalamas are traditional resting places built by locals to accommodate wayfarers who were travelling to distant places. They were also used as a place for people to gather, hold meetings and serve as a public place in society. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, Ambalamas were spread all over the country. The Ambalama at Appallagoda is believed to be a such structure built about 100 years ago (Rajapakse, 2016).

The structure

The Ambalama has been built by erecting twelve and four columns (12 externally and 4 internally) fixed in two concentric tiers. The double-pitched roof is paved with modern clay tiles and supported by the two sets of columns. Few names who involved in the construction of the Ambalama are found inscribed on the several columns (De Silva & Chandrasekara, 2009).

In front of the Ambalama is a stone "Pinthaliya", a traditional container used to provide drinking water to the wayfarers. 

References

1) De Silva, N.; Chandrasekara, D.P., 2009. Heritage Buildings of Sri Lanka. Colombo: The National Trust Sri Lanka, ISBN: 978-955-0093-01-4.  p.173.
2) Rajapakse, S., 2016. Pauranika Sthana Ha Smaraka: Mahanuwara Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. ISBN:955-9159-34-8. pp. 121-122.

Location Map

This page was last updated on 2 January 2022
For a complete tourist map follow this link: Lankapradeepa Tourist Map