Panavitiya Ambalama
The Panavitiya Ambalama (Sinhala: පනාවිටිය අම්බලම; Tamil: பணாவிட்டிய அம்பலம) is an old wayside rest located in the village of Panavitiya in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. This Ambalama is considered special among other Ambalamas in the country because of its exquisite wood carvings found on the pillars and the beams of the roof. Ambalama 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 Panavitiya is one such structure, believed to have been erected in the 18th century (Anuradha & Kumari, 2015; Mendis et al., 2019). Situated on a flat land bordered by a paddy field, this Ambalama may have been built on an ancient footpath leading from Dambadeniya to Kurunegala and Yapahuwa (Godakumbure, 1993). The str…
