Rikillagaskada Ambalama

Photo credit: Google street view

The Rikillagaskada Ambalama is an old wayside rest situated in the middle of Rikillagaskada town in Nuwara Eliya 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 history of Rikillagaskada Ambalama is found mentioned on a trilingual plaque (English, Sinhala, Tamil) fixed on one of the walls of this structure. According to it, this Ambalama has been built in 1787 Saka year (1864 A.D.) by a resident in Rikillagasgoda named Koralalage Don Andris de Silva Appuhami Notaris (Dasanayaka, 2018; Wijesinghe, 2015).

Restorations

The Ambalama was renovated by the Department of Archaeology in late 2017.

A protected monument

The Rikillagaskada Ambalama in the Grama Niladhari Division of Rikillagaskada, in Hanguranketha Divisional Secretary’s Division, is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government notification published on 6 June 2008.

References

1) Dasanayaka, R., 2018. Ambalama saha samajaya (In Sinhala). S. Godage & Brothers. p.81.

2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1553. 6 June 2008. p.526.

3) Wijesinghe, T.K., 2015. Pauranika Sthana Saha Smaraka: Nuwara Eliya Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka). ISBN: 955-9159-36-4. p.14.

Location Map

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