Wakirigala Ambalama

Photo credit: Google street view

The Wakirigala Ambalama is an old wayside rest situated in Wakirigala village in Kegalle 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 Wakirigala Ambalama is believed to be one such structure built in ancient times.

This Ambalama is primarily made out of fourteen granite pillars fixed in two tiers of squares (ten pillars in the outer square and four in the inner square). The four pillars in the inner square are about 20 ft. in height and some of them have carvings such as the sun and the moon (Abeyawardana, 2002). The roof of the building is designed in 2 layers; the top roof and the lower roof. The top roof is held by the inner four pillars while the lower roof is supported by the ten pillars in the outer square. By connecting the ten pillars of the outer square, a short wall runs around the building. The top part of the roof is covered by flat clay tiles (Pethi Ulu) while the lower part is covered with semi-cylindrical clay tiles (Sinhala Ulu). The floor of the building is paved with dressed stones (Abeyawardana, 2002).

Location Map

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