Alagalla Mountain Range – defense location of yesteryear –By Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated at the boundaries of Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces of Sri Lanka, Alagalla Mountain Range or “Potato Range”, the potato-shaped rock with its nickname “Potato Mountain” which offers spectacular vistas has served as a natural defense location from 1505 – 1815 against the Portuguese, Dutch and English invasions aimed at the Kandyan Kingdom. According to legends, during foreign invasions, people living in Kandy and environs had been hiding among the cliffs that border Hatharaliyadda and Thumpane (villagers situated in close proximity to the Mountain) and retaliated against the Portuguese, Dutch and British. The majority of battles against foreign invasions aimed at the Kandyan Kingdom by western nations during the period of their rule of maritime provinces of Sri Lanka had occurred at Alagalla Mountain, at Balana (View Point) situated between *Kadugannawa Pass and Potato Range during the rule ...
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The Advent of Colonialism and its Aftermath By Noor Rahim The Advent. Before the invasion of far off lands by foreign powers, that spread its’ wings, sails and tentacles into alien lands; the inhabitants of these lands lived a virtually “peaceful life”, except for internal squabbles among themselves and perhaps the neigbouring countries. They were known to “live off the land” and make do with their own natural resources; which were, in most instances, mainly agrarian by nature. Then came the seafaring and belligerent/bellicose European Nations that had expansionist intentions during the period or era from the 16th to around the mid-20th century anno domini. What we saw, to a great extent, was not expansionism; but a rule for exploitation with lucrative & comfortable benefits to the invaders who occupied the invaded land; and the greed to fill the coffers of their own Motherland. This was the advent of Colonialism. ...
Kalpitiya Fort – Dutch Colonial legacy By Arundathie Abeysinghe Constructed during the Dutch Colonial Era, Kalpitiya Fort had been designed in 1666 and completed in 1676. The walls of the Fort are approximately 4 meters (13 feet) high constructed with coral and limestone from the surrounding area. The Fort has a single entrance facing the lagoon with a pediment and a belfry above, similar to an entrance of a church, a unique feature. Kalpitiya Fort had been a remarkable icon during the Dutch Colonial Era. *Kalpitiya had been a renowned trading hub for Arab merchants. In the mid-16th century, the Portuguese had conquered Kalpitiya and renamed it as “Kardiv Island”. King Rajasinghe II (1608 – 1687) of the Kandyan Kingdom (Sri Lanka’s reigning monarch during this period) had sought assistance from the Dutch to secure the land from the Portuguese Colonials. Yet, after the Dutch invasion of the location, the ...
Mandaram Nuwara – misty mysterious mountain locked terrain By Arundathie Abeysinghe Commonly referred to as the “Misty City” (Mandaram Nuwara in Sinhala) as the location is shadowed by adjacent mountain ranges and mist engulfed, Mandaram Nuwara is a spectacular tiny hamlet in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Located at the foot of *Pidurutalagala Mountain (Mount Pedro), the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka in the Nuwara Eliya District of Central Province, a unique feature of this scenic hamlet is that it has never seen the first rays of the solar rays nor the remaining rays because of its mountain-locked location. Legends as well as folklore weave through this hamlet… Enclosed from the west by Piduruthalagala Mountain and from the east by the Balagolla mountain ranges and constantly enveloped by a veil of ethereal mist and the seamless presence of nature, the breathtaking hamlet of Mandaram Nuwara evokes images of a ...
Ran Ayuda Mandapaya – majesty and grandeur of Kandyan Kingdom By Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated within the premises of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Kandy, Ran Ayuda Mandapaya (Golden Armoury) also known as Ran Avuda Mandapaya is believed to be the place where the crowns and swords of the Kandyan Kings had been designed, moulded and bejeweled during the Kandyan Kingdom. The building is an epitome of Kandyan architecture, Sri Lanka’s glorious history, culture and civilization. Ran Ayuda Mandapaya had been constructed in 1592 during the reign of King Wimaladharmasuirya I (1590 – 1604). It had been renovated by King Senarath (1604 to 1635), King Rajasingha II (1629 -1687) and King Wimaladharmasuirya II (1687–1707). This building had been one of the first buildings that had been adjoined with the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) Complex. Due to foreign invasions the building had been damaged ...
Audience Hall Kandy – location of a historic event By Arundathie Abeysinghe Located between Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) and Royal Palace of Kandy, the Audience Hall also known as Magul Maduwa (in Sinhala) or Assembly Hall, the place where the Kandyan Kings had held courts during the Kandyan Kingdom (where Kandyan Kings met their ministers). The Audience Hall had also been used for cultural as well as religious purposes during the Kandyan Kingdom. The Hall was also known as “Maha Naduwa” or Royal Court by locals as the building was used by the King as the courts. During the Kandyan Kingdom, the King had met Ambassadors from different countries in this hall for official purposes, exchanged official documents (between *Ceylon and foreign countries), gifts as well as discussions had been held between the King, his Senior Officers and Ambassadors. Many key events had taken place at this ...
Royal Palace of Kandy – By Arundathie Abeysinghe Royal Palace of the Kandyan Kingdom is located to the north of Dalada Maligawa. It was the royal residence of King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe (1798-1815), the last reigning King of Kandy as well as Sri Lanka. The palace dates back to the 14th century. King Wickramabahu III (1357-1374) and King Senasamatha Wickramabahu (1469-1511) of the Kingdom of Gampola constructed the palace. King Wimaladharmasuriya I (1592 – 1603) was the first king to occupy the Palace. Each king who resided in the Royal Palace made improvements to the structure of the Palace. The original palace walls were burnt during wars between foreign invaders and the Kandyan Kingdom. The Palace was renovated during the Kandyan Kingdom after the wars without alterations to its interior. Royal Palace Complex included the Royal Palace (Raja Wasala), Royal Audience Hall (Magul Maduwa – hall where the king ...
The first-ever social club in Ceylon and the life of H.A Marshall-its builder – by Hugh Karunanayake Source:-island.lk When the Portuguese and Dutch occupied the maritime provinces of Ceylon from the 16 th Century to the end of the 18th century, it was more or less a military occupation with the ever present danger of the coastal government being overrun by the monarch who ruled the Kandyan Kingdom. That imminent possibility was mitigated to some degree with the annexation of the maritime provinces by the British East India Co; which occurred during the wars of the French revolution. When the Netherlands came under French control the British made its move to oust the Dutch from Ceylon. The Dutch surrendered the island(or more precisely its maritime areas) to the British in 1796 after some half hearted resistance. In 1802 Ceylon was made a crown colony and it was clear that the ...
“Brief introduction of the arrival of the Malays in Ceylon (Sri Lanka)”.By Noor Rahim “Brief introduction of the arrival of the Malays in Ceylon (Sri Lanka)”. It is a known fact that our Ancestral Motherland was Indonesia. The Archipelago consists of 17,500 Islands; of which 6,000 are inhabited in an area of 741,100 Sq. Miles; and stretches 2,300 miles (3,700 kms) from East to West. There are 250 to 300 Distinct Cultural Groups; and as many as 700 Languages/Dialects. ...
