Wellamadama Ambalama

Photo credit: Google street view

The Wellamadama Ambalama is an old wayside rest in Meddawatta in Matara 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 Wellamadama Ambalama is one such structure believed to have been built more than 200 years ago (Bohingamuwa, 2005). Thisara Sandeshaya, an ancient Sandesha Kavya composed over 500 years ago refers to this Ambalama (Abeyawardana, 2004; Bohingamuwa, 2005).

The structure

This Ambalama which presently remains in a dilapidated state is situated about 20 m from the sea at the Rassandeniya junction about 800 m from the University of Ruhuna (Bohingamuwa, 2005). It is a single-celled structure with brick walls and a limestone foundation (Bohingamuwa, 2005). 

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.72-73.

2) Bohingamuwa, W., 2005. Preliminary Survey of Tsunami-affected Monuments and Sites in the Maritime Region of Sri Lanka. Part VI. ICOMOS Sri Lanka. p.58.

Location Map

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