Ape Gama, formerly known as Janakala Kendraya (Sinhala: බත්තරමුල්ල ජන කලා කේන්ද්රය අපේ ගම පරිශ්රය), is a replica of a traditional old-day Sri Lankan village established near Indian Peace Keeping Force War Memorial in Battaramulla in Colombo District, Sri Lanka.
Establishment
The construction work of Ape Gama was commenced by Laksala to attract local and foreign tourists, showing the traditional industries and culture of Sri Lanka. The site was declared open to the public on 13 November 2013 by then-President Mahinda Rajapakse along with a Laksala showroom complex. In September 2015, it was wrested from Laksala (within the Ministry for Cultural Affairs) and gazetted under the Ministry of Education.
The village consists of thatched roof houses and mud huts, farming and animal husbandry-related set-ups.
Travel Tips
The site is open to tourists during normal business hours and is used as an event location. The place has food stalls, handy craft shops and workshops with live demonstrations of making traditional arts. Facilities are available for conducting meetings and gatherings as well as for conducting music and dancing classes.
References
1) Silva, A. de., 2019. Craft Artisans and State Institutions in Sri Lanka. International Centre for Ethnic Studies. ISBN 978-955-580-234-5. pp.39-40.
