Bollatha Ambalama, Gampaha

The Bollatha Ambalama is an old wayside rest in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. It is located at the junction where the Bollata-Walpola road joins the Kandana-Ganemulla road.

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 structure

The brick-built building is relatively small and contains a single open space surrounded by a short wall. The four-sided roof which is held by nine brick pillars has been tiled with semi-cylindrical clay tiles (Sinhala Ulu). The entrance is set at the northern side of the Ambalama.

Conservation
The Ambalama was conserved by the Architecture Division of the Department of Archaeology in 2000.

A protected monument

The Bollatha Ambalama at the 5th miles stone of Kandana-Ganemulla road situated in the Grama Niladhari Wasama Bollata-South in the Gampaha Divisional Secretary’s Division is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government Gazette notification published on 22 November 2002.

References

1) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1264. 22 November 2002.

Location Map

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