Badulla Ambalama (බදුල්ල කච්චේරි භූමියේ පැරණි අම්බලම)

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The ancient Ambalama at Badulla lies inside the Kachcheri land in the middle of Badulla town. The ambalama was built during the early 19th century with finely carved wooden pillars, arches and pillar tops. It is believed that this ambalama had been built for the use of the visitors to the Kachcheri from faraway places who would spend hours on the grounds to get their work done.

Ambalama is a wayside resting place which was built by royals or the wealthy for travellers to rest and spend the nights safe from wild animals in ancient times. The quality and the level of carvings put into the building of the Ambalama were based on the wealth and the status of the benefactor. They were also a common place of gathering for the villagers for formal and informal meetings.

Many of the Ambalam found today had been built during the Kandyan kingdom. Some were built using granite and wood exquisitely carved with various designs popular during this era. But later, aesthetics lost its importance and they were just built for their utilitarian value. Parawahera is one such ambalama lacking any effort made to its aesthetics.

The half wall of the ambalama also served as a bench for the travellers. The roof is designed in a double-pitched hip roof style and tiled with flat clay tiles, a popular ambalama style during the Kandyan Era.

A photo of the Badulla Ambalama from the 1904 publication Golden Tips, A Description of Ceylon and its Great Tea Industry

Badulla ambalama in the Kachcheri Ground

References

Cave, H.W. (1904) Golden Tips, A Description of Ceylon and its Great Tea Industry. 3rd edn. London: S. Low, Marston & Co.

Also See

Map of Badulla Ambalama

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Travel Directions to Badulla Ambalama

Route from Badulla railway station to Badulla Ambalama

Through :
Distance : 1.4 km
Travel time : 5 minutes
Time to Spent : 15-30 minutes
Driving directions : see on Google map

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References

Also See

Map of Badulla Ambalama

Travel Directions to Badulla Ambalama

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