Makehelwala Ambalama (Sinhala: මාකෙහෙල්වල අම්බලම) is an old resting house located on the wayside of Makelewala road leading to Ihalakotte Railway Station in Kegalle District, Sri Lanka. The ancient Makehelwala Tempita Viharaya is situated 100 m southwest of this Ambalama.
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 Ambalama at Makehelwala is believed to be one such structure built in the past.
The structure
This large single-room Ambalama building is roughly rectangular in shape and built of brick and mortar. The roof which is made of two layers is covered with flat clay tiles (Kandyan Ulu). The square-shaped pillars within and around the structure hold the roof. Connecting the pillars of the outer layer, a half-height wall runs around it. The ruins of an old Ambalama are found adjacent to this structure.
Attribution
#) LankaPradeepa.com extends its gratitude to Lalith Kekulthotuwage for providing the necessary photographs required for this article. All the photos are published here with the permission of the author.
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This page was last updated on 5 October 2023
