The Parawahera Ambalama (Sinhala: පරවාහැර අම්බලම) is an old wayside rest in the village of Parawahera in Matara District, Sri Lanka. The ancient Weluwanarama Viharaya is located about 600 m north of 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. The Ambalama at Parawahera is believed to be one such structure constructed more than one hundred years ago (Wikramaratne, 2015).
The Structure
This rectangular-shaped brick-built building has been plastered with lime mortar. Three sides of the building are fully covered by the walls while the front side is opened to the road. The roof is covered with Sinhala Ulu [(semi-cylindrical clay tiles) Wikramaratne, 2015].
A Protected Monument
The doss house (Parawahera Ambalama) in Parawahera village in the Grama Niladhari Division of Parawahera East is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government gazette notification published on 16 August 2013.
References
1) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka: Extraordinary No: 1823/73. 16 August 2013. p.5A.
2) Wikramaratne, I., 2015. Pauranika Sthana Saha Smaraka: Matara
Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka). ISBN:
955-9159-54-2. p.62.
