Ape Gama (Battaramulla)

Ape Gama (Photo credit: Saranga Thilaksiri, Google Street View)

Ape Gama, formerly known as Janakala Kendraya (Sinhala: බත්තරමුල්ල ජන කලා කේන්ද්‍රය අපේ ගම පරිශ්‍රය), is a replica of traditional old day Sri Lankan village established near Indian Peace Keeping Force war memorial in Battaramulla in Colombo District, Sri Lanka.

The construction work of Ape Gama was commenced by Laksala with the purpose of attracting 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

Things to do at Ape Gama premises;

The site is open to tourists during normal business hours and is used as an event location also. The place has food stalls, handy craft shops and workshops with live demonstrations of making traditional arts. Facilities are available for conducting meetings and gathering as well as for conducting music and dancing classes.

Visit nearby attractions;

Travel places and other tourist sites/monuments to visit near Ape Gama;

Jathika Sandun Uyana	National War Heroes’ Monument	Diyasaru Uyana
Category: Foods, night activities Distance: 700 m (2 mins drive).	Category: Monument, war memorial Distance: 800 m (2 mins drive).	Category: Photography, sights, wildlife Distance: 2.2 km (4 mins drive).

Kimbulawala Street Foods	Diyatha Uyana	Beddagana Wetland Park
Category: Foods, night activities Distance: 2.3 km (5 mins drive).	Category: Urban park, shopping, eating Distance: 2.5 km (6 mins drive).	Category: Photography, sights, wildlife Distance: 4.7 km (10 mins drive).

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.

Location Map

This page was last updated on 20 February 2023