Dodamwala Ambalama

The Dodamwala Ambalama (Sinhala: දොඩම්වල අම්බලම) is an old wayside rest situated in Dodamwala village in Kandy 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. As mentioned on one of its pillars, this Ambalama has been built in 1876 by a person named Loku Appuhami (Rajapakse, 2016).

The structure

The Ambalama building is 3.09 m in length and 2.28 m in width (Rajapakse, 2016). The roof is supported by four pillars at the corners. The pillars are brick-built and covered with lime plaster (Rajapakse, 2016).

A protected monument

The Dodamwala Ambalama belonging to Dodamwala village situated in the Grama Niladhari Division, Bahirawakanda in the Divisional Secretary's Division, Gangawatakorale is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government notification published on 30 September 2022.

References

1) Rajapakse, S., 2016. Pauranika Sthana Ha Smaraka: Mahanuwara Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. ISBN:955-9159-34-8. pp.45-46.

2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka: Extraordinary. No: 2299/60. 30 September 2022. p.2A.

Location Map

This page was last updated on 10 April 2023