Weragampita Ambalama (Matara)

Weragampita Ambalama
Figure 1: The Ambalama building at Weragampita

.
The Weragampita Ambalama (Sinhala: වේරගම්පිට අම්බලම) is an old wayside rest situated in Weragampita village 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 Weragampita Ambalama is believed to be one such structure built in the 19th century or later (probable). According to locals, this Ambalama may have been erected as a part of the old Nawimana port on the nearby Nilwala Ganga.

The structure
The Ambalama has been built on a raised square-shaped platform made of bricks and cement. Two sides of the building are covered by a high wall that rises up to the roof while the other two sides are bordered by a short wall. Two entrances have been placed on the two sides that face the road. The roof is covered with semi-circular tiles known as Sinhala-Ulu.

Weragampita Ambalama
.
Attribution
#) LankaPradeepa.com extends its gratitude to Lalith Kekulthotuwage and V. M. Vidanapathirana for providing the necessary photographs required for this article. All the photos are published here with the permission of the authors.

Location Map
This page was last updated on 10 December 2023

Post a Comment

Cookie Consent
We serve cookies on this site to analyze traffic, remember your preferences, and optimize your experience.
Oops!
It seems there is something wrong with your internet connection. Please connect to the internet and start browsing again.
AdBlock Detected!
We have detected that you are using adblocking plugin in your browser.
The revenue we earn by the advertisements is used to manage this website, we request you to whitelist our website in your adblocking plugin.
Site is Blocked
Sorry! This site is not available in your country.