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Ambalama
An ambalama ( Sinhala: අම්බලම) is a place constructed for pilgrims, traders and travellers to rest in Sri Lanka. This is a simple structure designed to provide shelter for the travellers. The last examples of anbalange remained until about the end of the 1970s. There were no charges involved in using an Ambalama. History According to Anuradha Seneviratna and Benjamin Polk pilgrimage rest-houses like Ambalamas were well established before 230 BC as Mauryan kings issued orders carved on stones or iron columns for planting of avenues of trees and for building shelters for the comfort of pilgrims. Ambalamas in Sri Lanka, many of them several centuries old, have been kept close to their youth by the continuous replacements of decaying parts and are among the oldest wood structures in Sri Lanka. Prominent families of a locality donate and maintain a shelter, or they are put up by the villagers as a place to rest and meet. In literature In Salalihini and Gira sandeshas, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Appallagoda Ambalama
The Appallagoda Ambalama is a traditional resting place, or ambalama, in a rural environment in the village of Appallagoda, from the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka. Built in 1922, it is an example of traditional, indigenous architecture and is known as the largest stone ambalama in the Kandy region. Architecture The Appallagoda Ambalama has a floor area of approximately and measures from floor to pinnacle. On the inside, around the ambalama, are stone seats. Caste differences dictated the different levels in the seating area. The roof is supported by two sets of stone columns, twelve externally and four internally. The ambalama has two broken stone columns on the northeastern side. The local villagers claim that the columns were constructed this way deliberately when the ambalama was built to ward off inauspicious omens. The roof has a brass Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Panavitiya Ambalama
Panavitiya Ambalama ( Sinhala: පනාවිටිය අම්බලම) is an Ambalama situated in Sri Lanka. An ''ambalama ()'' is a place constructed for pilgrims, traders, and travellers to rest. Panavitiya Ambalama is a place famous for its ornate wood carvings which are regarded to be on par with those at Embekka Devalaya, Lankathilaka, and Gadaladeniya Viharas. Location Panavitiya Ambalama is situated in the village of Panavitiya () off Matiyagane () in the Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. The location is accessible by vehicles as of 2019. One of the routes that can be taken to reach the A''mbalama'' from Colombo is by taking the Negombo-Kurunegala highway to ''Matiyagane'' () school junction via Dambadeniya () and then turning left at the junction onto ''Dangolla'' () road. ''Kajugas handiya'' () bus stop can be reached by continuing on ''Dangolla'' () road for another 2 km. Panavitiya Ambalama can be reached by travelling another 1.5 km along the road ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kadugannawa Ambalama
Kadugannawa Ambalama ( Sinhala:කඩුගන්නාව අම්බලම) is a historic ambalama that is found – on the left, when traveling from ''Colombo to Kandy'', a few metres before the Kadugannawa hairpin turn aka Kadugannawa pass. Built in the early 19th century during the British colonial rule in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the Ambalama is now more than 200 years old. A popular stopover for horsemen and merchants traveling from the lowlands to the ancient hill capital Kandy Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ..., this structure resembles the Kandyan Era architecture and is of archaeological value. It was renovated by the Ministry of Tourism under the technical guidance of the Department of Archaeology at a cost of Rs. 300,000 and now this structure is c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giruwa Ambalama
Giruwa Ambalama ( Sinhala:ගිරුවා අම්බලම) is a historic wayside rest beside the Aluth Nuwara Dedimunda Devalaya site built by Queen Sunetradevi chief consort of King Parakramabahu II (A.D 1236–1276) and mother of King Bhuvanekabahu I. The pillars remaining at the site are supposed to be belonging to the period of King Bhuvanekabahu I. It has been conserved by the Archaeological department at least three times. See also * Panavitiya Ambalama * Appallagoda Ambalama * Kadugannawa Ambalama References Buildings and structures in Sabaragamuwa Province Archaeological protected monuments in Kegalle District {{SriLanka-hist-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sinhala Language
Sinhala ( ; Sinhala: , , ), sometimes called Sinhalese ( ), is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka, who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. It is also the first language of about 2 million other Sri Lankans, as of 2001. It is written in the Sinhalese script, a Brahmic script closely related to the Grantha script of South India. The language has two main varieties, written and spoken, and is a notable example of the linguistic phenomenon known as diglossia. Sinhala is one of the official and national languages of Sri Lanka. Along with Pali, it played a major role in the development of Theravada Buddhist literature. Early forms of the Sinhalese language are attested to as early as the 3rd century BCE. The language of these inscriptions, still retaining long vowels and aspirated consonants, is a Prakrit similar to Magadhi, a regional associate of the Middle-Indian Prakrits that had been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, Indian peninsula by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. It shares a maritime border with the Maldives in the southwest and India in the northwest. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital of Sri Lanka, while the largest city, Colombo, is the administrative and judicial capital which is the nation's political, financial and cultural centre. Kandy is the second-largest urban area and also the capital of the last native kingdom of Sri Lanka. The most spoken language Sinhala language, Sinhala, is spoken by the majority of the population (approximately 17 million). Tamil language, Tamil is also spoken by approximately five million people, making it the second most-spoken language in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has a population of appr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anuradha Seneviratna
Anuradha Seneviratna (July 13, 1938 - July 9, 2009) was a Sri Lankan scholar. He wrote many scholarly works and was a Senior Professor in the Department of Sinhala, University of Peradeniya. He has also worked in University of Colombo and was the Director of the Institute of Aesthetic Studies. He was educated at Dharmaraja College, Kandy. He was born in Eriyagama, Kandy Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ..., on July 13, 1938, and died on July 9, 2009. Writings Seneviratna has written nearly 70 books in English and Sinhala, the most famous being; *''Purana Anuradhapuraya: Aramika Nagaraya'' (Ancient Anuradhapura: The Monastic City) *''Polonnaruva, Medieval Capital of Sri Lanka: An Illustrated Survey of Ancient Monuments'' *''Sunset in a Valley: Kotmale'' *''Nana Darsana ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Benjamin Polk
280px, Narayanhity Palace Museum (formerly Narayanhity Royal Palace) in Nepal.html" ;"title="Kathmandu, Nepal">Kathmandu, Nepal Benjamin Kauffman Polk (18 May 1916 – 23 April 2001) was an American designer and architect, best known for his work in India and Nepal. Polk was raised by his parents, Harry Herndon Polk (30 November 1875 – 28 August 1949) and Alice Kauffman (12 August 1878 – 30 July 1973) in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa. He practiced architecture in San Francisco from 1948 to 1952, where he met his future wife and companion, Emily Despain (née Isaacs). The couple moved to India in 1952, where they would remain until September 1963. Polk designed both in the public and private sector. In 1955 he formed an association with another expatriate American architect, Joseph Allen Stein, later adding civil engineer Binoy K. Chatterjee, to form the firm of Stein, Chatterjee and Polk. Polk and Chatterjee left the firm in 1961, moving their new office to Calcutta name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mauryan Empire
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary sources for the written records of the Mauryan times are partial records of the lost history of Megasthenes in Roman texts of several centuries later; the Edicts of Ashoka, which were first read in the modern era by James Prinsep after he had deciphered the Brahmi and Kharoshthi scripts in 1838; and the ''Arthashastra'', a work first discovered in the early 20th century,: "... another source that enjoyed high standing as a description of the early Mauryan state was the Arthashastra, a treatise on power discovered in the early twentieth century." and previously attributed to Chanakya, but now thought to be composed by multiple authors in the first centuries of the common era. Archaeologically, the period of Mauryan rule in South Asia falls in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pita Kotte Gal Ambalama
Pita Kotte Gal Ambalama ( Sinhala:පිටකෝට්ටේ ගල් අම්බලම) is a historic Ambalama building ( wayside rest) situated at Pita Kotte junction, Western province, Sri Lanka. It was used as a resting place or waiting place for the visitors who came to ancient capital of Kotte kingdom as well as Kotte Raja Maha Vihara. The building has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological protected monument under the No.9 of the Government Archaeological Act published in 1940. Pita Kotte Gal Ambalama dates back to the time of the Kotte period. The earliest written evidence about this Ambalama is found in a map of the Kingdom of Kotte (1413–1565) which depicts the present site of the Ambalama. The structure however was dismantled and re-located recently due to widening of the road by Road Development Authority The Road Development Authority (commonly abbreviated as RDA); (; ) is the premier highway authority in Sri Lanka and is responsible ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kalithattu (rest House)
Kalithattu (Malayalam language, Malayalam: കളിത്തട്ട്) is a type of wayside public rest house in Kerala and surrounding regions in southern India. Kalithattu are public rest-house built in villages, towns, agriculture fields and near temples for locals, pilgrims, travelers, and traders to rest. In villages, it was used by those involved in agriculture, long-distance travelers to relieve fatigue and locals to attend cultural meetings. Kalithattus are traditionally built from wood, they have wooden pillars, wooden floors and sloping roofs with two gables. Kalithattu shares common origin with rest-houses like Ambalamas of Sri Lanka and Pati (rest house), Patis of Nepal. According to Anuradha Seneviratna and Benjamin Polk rest-houses like these were well established before 230 BC as Mauryan Empire, Mauryan kings issued orders carved on stones or iron columns for planting of avenues of trees and for building shelters for the comfort of pilgrims. See also *Ambal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
