Bandaranayake Mawatha: A Glimpse into its Glorious Past-By Tuan M. Zameer Careem
Bandaranayake Mawatha grabbed the headlines recently, when over a thousand of its residents were moved to quarantine facilities, maintained by the Sri Lanka Army, after 31 persons from the area were tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
It is one of the major thoroughfares in Hulftsdorp today, filled to the brim with the hustle and bustle of commerce and people, but, as startling as this may sound to many readers, this very street, was once a fashionable residential boulevard, where Colonial officials, Mudaliyars, Knights, landed and mercantile elite had their palatial retreats.
The history of this roadway can be traced back to as early as 1814, when Ehelepola Maha Adikaram lived here in a Dutch style house owned by the widow of Mohotty Mohandiram, when he came to Colombo to meet Governor Robert Brownrigg.
Not only did it look different back then, it was also known by a different name, ‘Silversmith Street’, as many silversmiths had lived here during the Dutch period.
Likewise, many other streets in Colombo were named for the type of commerce, industry or artisan colony found there in the bygone days, viz. Barber St, Shoemakers lane, Brassfounders St, OilmanSt, Washermen’s Quarters, Chernier Theru (Weavers St), Kannar Theru (Bronzesmith St), Market St, FerrySt, Coffee St., Fisher’s Hill, etc.
Bandaranaike’s legacy
Following the independence of Ceylon, many street names were subjected to the whole ‘renaming kafuffle’, and Silversmith St.
was aptly re-christened, ‘Shrimath Bandaranayake Mawatha’. In fact, the ancestral townhouse of Ceylon’s fourth Premier, SWRD Bandaranaike, was located at No. 42, Silversmith
St, and the property was called, ‘Udugaha Walauwe’, as his forefathers who were in charge of the jurisdiction of Siyane Korale East, bore the title ‘Udugaha Mudaliyar’.
In its heyday, ‘Udugaha’ was one of the grandest houses in Colombo, with a spacious compound that boasted some of the most exotic flora and on either side of the driveway stood statues of various gods and heroes from classical mythology, the most notable among them was the replica of a Greek boy trying to pull out a thorn.
Grand celebration
In 1876, when Queen Victoria was officially recognised as ‘Empress of India’, SWRD’s grandfather, Don Christoffel Henricus, organised a grand celebration at ‘Udugaha’ which was decorated with flags and festoons of fruit and foliage to mark the historic event.
In 1882, Don Christoffel Bandaranaike died in Udugaha, and his funeral was attended by the great and the good, including British Royals, Prince Albert Victor and Prince George (later King George V), who were, at the time on an official visit to the Island.
SWRD’s staunchly Anglophile father, Sir Solomon, who served as ‘Maha Mudaliyar’ and native aide-de-camp to the British Governors of Ceylon, spent many years of his childhood at ‘Udugaha’, where his sisters were tutored by Miss Amy von Dadelzen.
Sir Solomon divided his time for the most part between his family seat, ‘Horogolla’ in Veyangoda and ‘Udugaha’ in Colombo, and within the precincts of the latter, he built a stable-yard to accommodate his horses, albeit, it wasn’t as commodious as his fabled ‘Horogolla stables’ which housed his favourite thoroughbreds.
He also revamped the original ‘Horogolla Walauwe’ built in the 1820s, by his grandfather, Don Solomon. The Horogolla stables which possessed a coach house, hayloft and quarters for grooms and staff, fell into disuse following Sir Solomon’s demise, but was saved from wreck and ruin by the intervention of his granddaughter, Sunethra who converted it to a charming country house with the help of architect-friend Geoffrey Bawa.
Sir Solomon also owned ‘Broomfield’, a bungalow in N’Eliya and ‘Elie house’ a manor in Mutwal, the latter was eventually acquired by the Government for building a reservoir in 1903.
Although Sir Solomon owned numerous properties, it seems probable that Udugaha was his favourite townhouse, where many prominent members of the ‘Bandaranaike-Obeysekera clan’ were born and raised.
Gate Mudaliyar, Walter Dias Bandaranaike also had his residence down Silversmith St. SWRD and his sisters, Anna and Alexandra spent most part of their childhood and adolescence in Udugaha, which also housed their English governesses and nannies,
Ms Church, Ms Hallam, Ms Bocok and Ms Whitehead to name a few. In 1925, a grand reception was hosted in Udugaha by Sir Solomon, to mark SWRD’s return to Ceylon after completion of his studies at Oxford.
Interestingly, when SWRD entered Politics in 1926, he couldn’t speak, read, or write Sinhala but under the tutelage of Cumaratunga Munidasa, he became proficient in Sinhala and managed to garner much support among the masses.
Sir Solomon, who stringently opposed SWRD’s advocacy of democratic socialism, at one point, virtually banished the latter to Udugaha.
In fact, it is under the aegis of Udugaha, where SWRD and the Ceylon National Congress convened meetings to discuss their demands for self governance.
By the 1940s Silversmith St had lost its status as one of the most coveted neighbourhoods in town, so following his marriage to Sirimavo, SWRD moved to ‘Wentworth’ on Guildford Crescent, later to his new townhouse ‘Tintagel’ on Rosmead Place, which had been previously occupied by Dr. Lucien D’ Zilwa.
Udugaha, deteriorated as time passed and a large portion of it was eventually demolished and the part that remained bore the new No. 167.
Townhouse
The property at old No. 40, Silversmith Street, was the townhouse of Mr J. M. P. Pieris, Mudaliyar of the Governors Gate, No. 41 was the ‘Congress Hall’, and at No. 5, legislator Hon.
Sir Christoffel Obeysekere lived in the lavish villa, ‘Hill Castle’, which was originally the town residence of his father-in-law, James D’ Alwis, Ceylonese legislator and oriental scholar.
Committee meetings of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society were also held at ‘Hill Castle’. Sadly, a narrow alley named ‘Hill Castle Place’ is all that remains to keep the memory of this historic townhouse alive. Though steeped in history, Silversmith St, is now being encroached upon by workshops, grocers’ stores, small warehouses, repair shops and slums.
During the Dutch era, many Colonial officials and native gentry took up residence in Hulftsdorp and the Pettah, particularly on Silversmith St, Green St, Kuruwe St and in the vicinity of the historic Wolvendhal Church, the oldest Protestant Church in Ceylon.
‘Hulftsdorp’ was where the Dutch General Hulft, had lived until his death in 1656, hence the name Hulfts-dorp meaning ‘Hulft’s village’ and the Dutch Dissava of Colombo also had his residence here.
Many place names in Colombo still bear Dutch names, for example, Wolvendhal (dale of wolves/jackals), Bloumendhal (Valley of flowers), Beira lake (in honour of engineer De Beer) and Kayman’s Gate, derived from the Dutch word ‘Kaaiman’, meaning crocodile.
Oosterlingen
During the Dutch Era, the exiled Malay Royals and their suite, who were referred to by the Dutch as ‘Oosterlingen’ meaning Easterners, were held captive in ‘Kampung Pangeran’ (Princes Quarters) in Hulftsdorp.
The Malays also built their mosques in the region, many of which still stand today viz. ‘Pisang Makam Sigit’ on Peer Saibo St and the Colombo Grand mosque built by architect, Balankaya on New Moor St. In the environs of the latter, there had been a burial grounds which was acquired by the British in Oct.
- At present, the Malay cemetery is located at Jawatte (kombi kale), Cinnamon Gardens, where exists, the Parsi cemetery as well.
Ceylon’s first British Governor Frederick North (later Earl of Guildford) lived for some years in a house he had purchased in Hulftsdorp, until a new house was secured for him in San Sebastian Hill, and my alma mater, Royal College, formerly the Colombo Academy also saw its inception in Hulftsdorp and for many decades the school was at San Sebastian which was later made use of as a jail, after the school had moved to Serpentine Rd (Reid Avenue).
Maha Mudaliyar
Ceylonese Dutch Colonial administrator, Maha Mudaliyar, Nicholas Dias Abeysinghe, whose family seat, ‘Pokune Walauwe’ was located in Dangedara, Galle owned a prodigious townhouse called, ‘Abeysinghe Walauwe’ on Silversmith Street. He also had a manor in Katunayake-Kotugoda.
Maha Mudaliyar, Leander de Saram’s townhouse ‘Karunaratne Walauwa’ was also on Silversmith St. Since the Dutch era, Hulftsdorp has been home to the Courthouse Complex, so many judges and advocates had their homes and offices down Silversmith St. Hon.
Sir Thomas de Sampayo, Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Ceylon, built his mansion, ‘Claredon’ named after his Alma Mater, Clare College, Cambridge on Silversmith St, and like many others previously mentioned, he too grew up in this prime residential neighbourhood.
Ceylonese Malay, Hon. Maas Thajoon Akbar, KC, Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court, had his colossal dwelling at No. 2, Silversmith St., advocate J. N. R. Sandarasagara, lived at the ‘Somagiri Walauwe’, proctor J.N.C. Tiruchelvam occupied, ‘The Retreat’ and the Manor, ‘Clarendon’, was lived in by draftsman, E.B. Weerasinghe.
Other prominent personalities who lived on this fabled street were Mudaliyar D.J. Wirasinha, Proctors Pullenayagam, Amaresekera and Cumaravelupillai, K.E. Perera, Jeweller D.M. Weerasinghe, Surveyor and leveller, Mr Jas.
W Amarasekara, Merchant & Proprietor C.M.A. Hassan, M. Abdulla Marikar, Stationmaster P.A. De Sampayo, H.S. Lord, Exporter and manufacturer J.E. De Mel, and Kadnes Weerasinghe.
Silversmith Street also housed many Burgher families at the time, for example, author and surveyor, Richard L. Brohier, who served as Chairman of the Gal Oya Development Board, was born and raised here, so were his father, and two of his paternal grandparents.
The Burghers also lived down Barber St, Jampettah St, Hill St and Prince St (formerly Oute Stad), and their fancy villas were usually made of thick kabok gal (laterite).
Rev. Andrew Armour, a Scotsman who served as Colonial Chaplain of St. Paul’s Church, owned a large house, on a thoroughfare leading from Silversmith Street to Grandpass, which was later converted into a dispensary following his demise in 1828, aged 59.
Although many decades have elapsed since his passing, the road where his house once stood, and St Pauls’ Church where he preached are still popularly called, ‘Armour Street’ and ‘Armour’s Church’ respectively.
St Sebastian’s Church and St Sebastian School for boys and girls, which were built during the British era, still stand on Silversmith St, which was also home to prominent clergymen like Rev. Dr. A. Eugene Abeywickrema, Rev. H.B.Goonetilleke, and missionary apostolic, Rev. C.E. Fonseka.
According to the writings of Simon Casie Chetty (1834), the Hindus too, had their temple in the Silversmith’s quarter which I presume is now called the ‘Kandasamy Kovil’. Silversmith St was also lined by the stately homes of affluent Chetty merchants like Muttucaruppen, who had bought the property as far back as 1861.
In 1918, Justice M.T. Akbar, founder of the Ceylon Muslim Educational Society, established Fathima Girls School on this very street.
Accountant A.M. Holmes’ residence, Abdul Older Rawther’s timber depot and hardware store, Surveyor MIL Marikar’s residence, Proctor M.L.S.Jayasekera’s office, and the HO of Crake Brothers and their Dance Band, were also located on Silversmith St.
Downfall
Starting from the 1870s, many native squires wanted a home removed from the increasingly busy Hulftsdorp and Mutwal quarters, ergo they started building their mansions in the salubrious surroundings of Cinnamon Gardens and Colpetty (Kollupitiya).
Civil servant, C.E. Layard, set this trend by building, ‘Bagatelle’ on his 400-acre estate in Colpetty, somewhere in the 1840s, later the property was acquired by Ceylonese entrepreneur and altruist, Sir Charles Henry de Soysa, who revamped and later renamed ‘Bagatelle’ as, ‘Alfred House’, in honour of the first British Royal who set foot on Lankan soil, Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh, who was entertained at ‘Bagatelle’ in 1870.
Sir James Peter Obeyesekere II, who succeeded Sir Solomon as Maha Mudaliyar, erected his stately home, Obeysekere Maligawa on Reid Avenue, Cinnamon Gardens somewhere in the 1890s, and many others followed suit, and by the early 20th C. Cinnamon Gardens had become the new ‘Knightsbridge’ of Ceylon where the most coveted residential addresses nestle to this day.
Since Independence, many of Hulftsdorp’s Maha Walauwes of varying architectural merit, erected by their proud owners, who no doubt intended for them to serve as a centre for gracious living for generations,
were sold and eventually razed to make way for smaller homes and growing businesses, alas, historic thoroughfares like Silversmith St have completely lost its old world charm and elegance due to the mundane needs of commerce.
What would Sir Solomon Bandaranaike make of modern “Shrimath Bandaranayake Mawatha’?
Memories are treasures that time cannot destroy……………
About the writer:Dr. Tuan M. Zameer Careem, MD is a Medical Doctor, historian and author, who has written extensively on Ethnic minorities, Lankan Medicine and history. Email: tuanzameerwrites@gmail.com
