Ambalangoda Dutch Stable (Sinhala: අම්බලන්ගොඩ ඕලන්ද ඉස්තාලය) is an old Dutch building situated in Ambalangoda in Galle District, Sri Lanka. Presently it stands adjacent to the land where the old Ambalangoda rest-house was located.
History
Evidence is there to show that this building is a work of the mid-18th century (Abeyawardana, 2004). A plaque fixed on the front wall of the building reveals that this was constructed in 1750 by a Dutch named Adriaan Ootdyk (De Vos, 1989; Lewis, 1913; Ranchagoda, 2015).
Text: GEBOUWD DOOR ADRIAAN OOSTDYK OMDERK EN OPS DER GA LE CORLA 1750.Translation: Built by Adriaan Oostdyk, onder-koopman, Superintendent of the Galle Corle, 1750.Citation: Lewis, 1913. p.204.
Adriaan Oostdyk was a high official in the Dutch East India Company (VOC) at the time when the church was built (De Vos, 1989; Lewis, 1913). For his duties, he had to visit places in Ambalangoda, Kosgoda, and Bentota and he used the old rest house in Ambalangoda as his temporary residence (Lewis, 1913).
Initially, the building was used as a village church and the services were regularly held in Sinhala by the schoolmaster proponents and in Dutch during their church and school visitations by the clergymen from Galle (Lewis, 1913). It is said that the floor of the church was paved with several tombstones but none of these are now to be seen as the floor had been filled with earth later (Lewis, 1913).
Later, the building was used as a storehouse for cinnamon, as a stable and as a court-house (Abeyawardana, 2004; Ranchagoda, 2015).
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Attribution
1) Dutch school and church, Ambalangoda by Fred Inklaar is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
2) Foundation stone, and Dutch school and church, Ambalangoda by Fred Inklaar are licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
2) Foundation stone, and Dutch school and church, Ambalangoda by Fred Inklaar are licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
References
1) Abeyawardana, H.A.P., 2004. Heritage of Ruhuna: Major natural, cultural and historic sites. Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka. ISBN: 955-575-073-4. pp.11,13.
2) De Vos, F. H., 1898. Monumental remains of the Dutch East India Company in Ceylon. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Volume: XV. 1897-1898. Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch). pp.271-272.
3) Lewis, J. P., 1913. List of inscriptions on tombstones and monuments in Ceylon, of historical or local interest with an obituary of persons uncommemorated: Colombo. p.204.
4) Ranchagoda, T. O., 2015. Pauranika Sthana Ha Smaraka: Galla Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. ISBN:955-9159-53-4. pp.26-27.
2) De Vos, F. H., 1898. Monumental remains of the Dutch East India Company in Ceylon. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Volume: XV. 1897-1898. Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch). pp.271-272.
3) Lewis, J. P., 1913. List of inscriptions on tombstones and monuments in Ceylon, of historical or local interest with an obituary of persons uncommemorated: Colombo. p.204.
4) Ranchagoda, T. O., 2015. Pauranika Sthana Ha Smaraka: Galla Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. ISBN:955-9159-53-4. pp.26-27.
Location Map
This page was last updated on 18 September 2022
