Cherub back in Kandy’s historic fountain-By L.B.Senaratne
Source:Sundaytimes
The historic Prince of Wales fountain in Kandy, built to commemorate the visit, in 1875, of Prince Albert Edward of Wales, eldest son of Queen Victoria, was recently damaged as it was used to bathe elephants, and has been repaired by the Basnayake Nilame of the Pattini Devale Hemantha Bandara Herath.
The repaired cherub
The monument comes under the purview of the Kandy Municipality and was once restored by former Mayor Mahendra Ratwatte.
The Basnayake Nilame had one of the cherubs in the fountain, originally built in the Sun Factory in Glasgow, repaired at his workshop in Kurunegala.
The Nilame said that the fountain was used to bathe elephants because their traditional bathing area in Katugastota went under water with the Polgolla scheme, and no alternative has been considered by authorities.
The damaged cherub
He said a hoarding will be erected to inform the public that the fountain is a protected area and also comes under the precincts of the Pattini Devale.
He reiterated that another bathing place should be assigned for elephants.
