The Badulla Ambalama (Sinhala: බදුල්ල අම්බලම) is an old wayside rest in the premises of Badulla Kachcheri in Badulla town in 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 Kachcheri Ambalama at Badulla was constructed in the beginning of the 19th century.
The structure
Badulla Ambalama is considered a rare piece of work. It is a rectangular-shaped structure built with carved four wooden pillars, arches and pillar heads showing local architectural features. The roof which is covered with flat clay tiles known as Pethi-Ulu is held by the four pillars at the corners (Priyadarshani & Gunasena, 2017). Connecting these pillars, a short wall goes around the structure. This wall is also served as a bench for the travelers.
It is assumed that this Ambalama was built for the customers who come to the Kachcheri for official duties to stay until the end of their business.
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Attribution
1) This photo licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 was published in the following article;
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Mendis, M.S., Halwatura, R.U., Somadeva, D.R.K., Jayasinghe, R.A. and
Gunawardana, M., 2019. Influence of timber grain distribution on
orientation of saw cuts during application: Reference to heritage
structures in Sri Lanka. Case Studies in Construction Materials, 11,
Elsevier. pp.1-18.
References
1) Priyadarshani, S.A.N.; Gunasena, I.P.P., 2017. Pauranika Sthana Ha Smaraka: Badulla Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Department of Archaeology. ISBN: 955-9159-48-8. p.47.
Location Map
This page was last updated on 25 November 2023