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| Figure 1: The Ambalama building at Weragampita |
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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.
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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
