Transformation of Galle Face green by Dr Harold Gunatillake
The promenade was initially laid out in 1859 by Governor Sir Henry George Ward, although the original Galle Face Green extended over a much larger area than is seen today. The Galle Face Green was initially used for horse racing and as a golf course but was also used for cricket, polo, football, tennis, and rugby.
The Dutch initially laid out the Galle Face Green to enable their cannons to a strategic line of fire against the Portuguese. One version of how the name Galle Face is derived is that it is from the original Dutch name for the fortifications, in that the gateway which gave access to the Colombo Fort was called the Gal Gate, as it faced southwards to Galle and faas means front, so it means in front of the fortification that encountered toward Galle. Another version is a corruption of the original name for the area’s rocky shoreline, Gal Bokka, Gal being the Sinhalese for rock and that Gal Gate meant rock gate.
The Galle Face Green is the most significant space in Colombo. Over the years, this promenade has been used by the Colombo residents and visitors to the city as a place of recreation, where people are free to walk, meet, have chit-chats and so on. The families get together and allow the children to play without any supervision by the parents.
This is a popular destination for children, vendors, teenagers, lovers, kite flyers, merrymakers and all those who want to indulge in their favourite pastimes next to the sea under the open sky. On Saturday and Sunday evenings, the land is busy with day trippers, picnickers, and food vendors selling cooked crabs, prawns, and slices of mango with pepper and salt. The first national Independence from the British was celebrated on this ground with a display of fireworks never seen after. That falls on February 4th annually.
Vickram Shah from the Society magazine states-“I pour some ginger beer into the glass and add two cubes of ice. I take a sip and taste my idea of Sri Lanka.” Vickram says-On Colombo’s Galle Face Green, there is no mediator between sea and soul. Every evening, the mixed-up people of this mixed-up land come to this great democratic space — each one to laugh or to love or to wheel or to deal or to cry or to contemplate, but all to watch the quiet spectacle of yet another Colombo sunset. Here is a Sri Lanka for Sri Lankans.
On the grassy expanse, women in floral printed shirts keep an eye on kite-chasing children. Peanut sellers hawk their ware in singsong Sinhala. Young lovers brush their fingertips, finally satiating the day’s anticipation. It must be a wonderful thing: the first shared smile of lovers at 5 p.m. on Galle Face Green. When youth is spent, this will be the sort of thing remembered.
There was a time when young village couples hid under the shadow of the umbrella, making love for hours in the afternoons. The sunset on the western horizon is most romantic and matches the lovers making love.
Before that era, in the fifties, the lovers came in their sporty vehicles, parked by the roadside area of the green, and spent their Sunday afternoons making love like sparrows.
The couples were keen to see who and who were in the neighbouring cars for gossip to take home.
Then they all end up at the back garden of Fountain Café to enjoy their unique ice cream; lovely Baka glory served to your car. Most others end up at Lions House in Bamba for a hopper feed.
The oldies today, wherever they are in the world, will go down their memory lane to reminisce those glorious days of the splendid island.
The stalls on the seaside walk-in palisade come up active by six in the evening, and the aroma of the fried rice and fried seafood stimulate your hunger pangs. You dwell on these unhealthy street foods before departing for another active day. All these built-up traditions have been replaced by the occupation of the Galle Face Green by protestors who called themselves the ‘Aragalayas’.
Gone are the days when the residents in Colombo could have a breath of fresh air and endeavour an experience.
The Aragalayas have fixed permanent camps, kitchen places to cook, toilets and bathing spots, spoiling the site’s sanctity.
Now, where can the Colombo peace-loving residents have a breath of fresh air and do their walks for health reasons anymore?
Should not the GMOA and other health organisations protest about this scenario for the health and wellbeing of the people?
As the president states, there are other sites like Vihara Maha Devi park and Campbell park for the Aragalayas to camp and fight their cause.
Why penalise the residents of Colombo, deprive their healthy lifestyles and make
them suffer in their dwellings, and more so over the children?
- The protesters were also notified to take steps to vacate the area before 5 p.m on August 5, and legal action will be taken against those who do not follow the above instructions
- Our lawyers have filed writ petitions at the Supreme Court and are working on that. If there’s a court ruling, then we will consider it.
Protesters say goodbye to the Galle Face site.
As reported in Newswave, According to the court decision taken by the Sri Lankan Police to evacuate the activists who were camped at the Galle Face site, many of the activists who were staying in that area were seen leaving by this evening.
According to this, the police had previously told the protesters staying at the Galle Face protest site to leave by 5 pm yesterday (05).
During the visit by the NewsWave saw how the activists who had camped at that site for more than three months gradually left by this notice.
Here, most of the fighters were the people who were still there the day the struggle started last April.
Some even left their jobs and joined the struggle ground, and it is extraordinary that they stayed on the site throughout their time.
It was very emotional for these people to leave the struggle ground today. Most people said goodbye to their friends with t eyes; many were seen kissing and embracing the people they met in the struggle area.
It was very emotional to see the people standing at the protest site looking at the crops they had planted there with a sigh and how they sadly touched the fruit that had grown there and said goodbye.
The cloud-laden Galle Face area did not get the usual golden sunset today, and it created a weather condition that matched the misery of the land.
We stayed there until the sun set, and only the signs could be seen at the end. Accordingly, even if the strugglers leave, the particular turn that the Galle Face site made in the history of this country will always be remembered.
Our message to Aragala protestors is that “All of you have done a great job by making Gotha leave his \post of the presidency when he was firm in saying that he will continue in office as he does not want to be referred to as a failed president in history.
Congratulations.
We feel that Ranil is in good form to bring the country to its pristine glory within a year with his reforms and planning. Give him that opportunity.
Hope this video presentation was useful, Stray safe and Goodbye for now
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