Bothale Walauwa (''also known as'' Bothale) is a large

bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is typically single or one and a half storey, if a smaller upper storey exists it is frequently set in the roof and Roof window, windows that come out from the roof, and may be surrounded by wide ve ...

(as mansions are referred to locally) in Bothale Ihalagama,

Western Province Western Province or West Province may refer to: *Western Province, Cameroon *Western Province, Rwanda *Western Province (Kenya) *Western Province (Papua New Guinea) *Western Province (Solomon Islands) *Western Province, Sri Lanka *Western Provinc ...

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, ...

.Tribute to the last Tusker of Botale Walauwa, the great Gamini
/ref> The large single storied house was built by

Don Spater Senanayake Mudaliyar Don Spater Senanayake was a Ceylonese, an entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a successful graphite mine owner and was given the titular title of Mudaliyar for social service by the British colonial administration. He is the fathe ...

in 1865 in his home village of Bothale which was located in the Hapitigame Korale of the Gampaha district within few minutes of the

Ambepussa Ambepussa is a town in the Kegalle District, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. History The Ambepussa railway station, was the terminus station for the first rail passenger service, a ten-carriage train which departed Colombo Fort railway s ...

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

. He was a successful entrepreneur having developed a successful business in

graphite Graphite () is a Crystallinity, crystalline allotrope (form) of the element carbon. It consists of many stacked Layered materials, layers of graphene, typically in excess of hundreds of layers. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable ...

mining, owning several mines he expanded his business into plantations and investments in the

arrack Arrack is a Distillation, distilled alcoholic drink typically produced in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, made from the Fermentation (food), fermented sap of coconut flowers or sugarcane, and also with grain (e.g. red rice) or fruit depending upon ...

renting franchise in an around Bothale and opening offices in Colombo.Nobodies to Somebodies: The Rise of the Colonial Bourgeoisie in Sri Lanka
Kumari Jayawardena, pp. 192-3 & 267 (Zed) He was awarded the honorary title of

Mudaliyar Thuluva Vellalar, also known as Agamudi Mudaliar or Arcot Mudaliars, is a caste found in northern Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh and southern Karnataka. They were an elite and dominant land-owning community. Etymology The earliest occu ...

by Governor Sir Joseph West Ridgeway for his philanthropy. The house became known as the ''Bothale Walauwa''. By tradition a Mudaliyar's home was known as a

Walauwa Walauwa or walawwa is the name given to a feudal/Colony, colonial manor house in Sri Lanka of a Native headmen of Ceylon, native headmen. It also refers to the feudal social systems that existed during the colonial era. The term walauwa is derive ...

and received due respects among the inhabitants of the logicality or village. Following the death of Don Spater Senanayake in 1907, his tomb was erected in the grounds of Bothale Walauwa. The house passed on to the Mudaliyar's son Don Stephen "D.S." Senanayake who with his brothers became active in local politics entering the

Legislative Council of Ceylon The Legislative Council of Ceylon was the legislative body of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) established in 1833, along with the Executive Council of Ceylon, on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission. It was the first form of represe ...

and thereafter

State Council of Ceylon The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time. It ...

. Becoming a prominent State Council Minister and national leader; D. S. Senanayake was lead the infinitive to gain Ceylon's Independence from Britain and right to self-rule in 1948, becoming the first

Prime Minister of Ceylon The prime minister of Sri Lanka, officially the prime minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the most senior member of parliament in the cabinet of ministers. It is the second-most powerful position in Sri Lanka's exec ...

. During his long political career, Senanayake used Bothale as his

country seat 300px, Oxfordshire.html" ;"title="Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire">Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a To ...

having been elected to parliament from the Mirigama electorate. Following Senanayake's death while in office, the house was passed on to his family. The

Senanayake family The Senanayake family is a Sri Lankan family that is prominent in enterprise and politics. Along with many members who have been successful politician across generations, the family includes two Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka. History Don Spater fr ...

still holds ownership of the house and the estate while the house has been descaled an archaeological protected monument by the Sri Lankan government on 3 September 1999.

References

{{coord missing, Sri Lanka Senanayake family Country houses in Sri Lanka Houses in Gampaha District Archaeological protected monuments in Gampaha District Manor houses in Sri Lanka

See also

References