Mawanella Udumahana Ambalama is a small ambalama made out of brick and mortar. According to oral history, this Amabalama goes back to the time of King Walagamaba (89-77 BC).
The building is square in its plan and four large pillars hold the roof of the building. The pillars are square at the bottom and change to a cylindrical shape halfway. A short wall goes around the building. This wall also serves as a seating bench for the traveller.
The roof is tiled with semi-cylindrical clay tiles (Sinhala ulu) and the typical “Kanimadala” design of a square ambalama can be seen in designing the roof. This is a special roof construction method found in Ambalama of the Kandyan era. The wooden beams of the roof are joined together at the centre using a wooden nail called Madol Kurupawa. The total weight of the roof is equally distributed by Madol Kurupawa. Kanimadala lies at the centre of Madol Kurupawa and is generally a floral design is carved at the end of this piece of wood. Unfortunately, the carving has been sawn off and stolen by treasure hunters. The building seems to have gone through a restoration process in the recent past.
Mawanella lies about 92 kilometers from Colombo. From Mawanella take Rambukkana road from Mawanella and up to Randiwela junction and turn left to the road reaching Thalagolla. The Ambalama is located 400 meters on this road. for 1 km to reach the Getakulama junction where the Ambalama is located. Another 1.3 km down this road lies the much larger Napalana Ambalama.
Also See
- List of Ambalama’s in Sri Lanka
- Ancient Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of Mawanella Udumahana Ambalama
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Travel Directions to Mawanella Udumahana Ambalama
Route from Colombo to Mawanella Udumahana Ambalama |
Distance :95 km Travel time : 2 hours Time to Spent : 15 mins Driving directions : see on Google map |