Rukula Ambalama

The Rukula Ambalama (Sinhala: රුකුලා අම්බලම) is an old wayside rest situated in Rukulagama village in Kegalle District, Sri Lanka. The famous Aluthnuwara Devalaya is situated to the north about a 1-mile distance from this Ambalama.

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.

According to folklore, the Rukula Ambalama at Rukulagama has been built by an elite lady named Rukula during the Dambadeniya Period [(13th-14th centuries A.D.) Dasanayaka, 2018]. However, some sources say that it was built at the beginning of the 20th century by the aristocrats of the village (De Silva & Chandrasekara, 2009).

Restorations

The Ambalama was restored by villagers in 1982 (Dasanayaka, 2018).

The structure

Presently, the Ambalama lies on the verge of a paddy field. The structure is square in shape and made of brick and mortar (Dasanayaka, 2018). The hipped roof is held by 12 round brick pillars about 8 ft. tall (Dasanayaka, 2018).

Attribution

1) This photo licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 was published in the following article;

# Mendis, M.S., Halwatura, R.U., Somadeva, D.R.K., Jayasinghe, R.A. and Gunawardana, M., 2019. Influence of timber grain distribution on orientation of saw cuts during application: Reference to heritage structures in Sri Lanka. Case Studies in Construction Materials, 11, Elsevier. pp.1-18.

References

1) Dasanayaka, R., 2018. Ambalama saha samajaya (In Sinhala). S. Godage & Brothers. pp.54-55.

2) 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.163.

Location Map

This page was last updated on 9 June 2022
For a complete tourist map follow this link: Lankapradeepa Tourist Map