Kamburupitiya Ambalama | AmazingLanka.com

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Ambalama, a roadside sanctuary, was constructed by aristocrats or the affluent to offer travellers a safe refuge from wild animals during ancient times. The intricacy of carvings adorning these shelters reflected the benefactor’s wealth and social stature. Additionally, Ambalama served as communal meeting points for villagers, fostering both formal gatherings and casual interactions within the community.

For the affluent patrons, Ambalama presented an opportunity to showcase their wealth and influence. Lavish structures, often constructed with durable materials and featuring ornate details, signalled the benefactor’s esteemed position in society. These rich resting places offered not only physical comfort but also served as symbols of prestige.

Conversely, more modest Ambalamas, while lacking in grandeur, was no less significant in its role as a haven for weary travellers. More recently, Ambalam belonged to this type built with utility in mind as the priority.

Kamburupitiya Ambalama is one such Ambalama built in 1909. This is a comparatively large Ambalama built with brick and mortar, standing in the center of the Kamburupitya town. The Ambalama was a large open space with brick pillars surrounding it.

However, the structure was later used for various government offices and underwent significant alterations over time. Today, the building is fully enclosed. The front façade consists of a low wall supported by square and cylindrical pillars, while the remaining open spaces are fitted with latticework to provide ventilation. The entrance is located on the side of the building.

A stone plaque records that the Ambalama was constructed by D. C. Wijesinghe Godekande Maha Ralahami in the Buddhist Era 2453, with the inscription stating: “කඹුරුපිටියේ ඩී. සී. විජේසිංහ ගොඩේකන්දේ මහරාලහාමි විසින් නිවන් පතා කරවන ලදි. ශ්‍රී බු. 2453.”

The roof is built in two layers and tiled with semi-cylindrical clay tiles. The Pradesheya Sabha owns this building, and it has been used for various purposes of the Sabha today.

Kamburupitiya Ambalama was declared a protected archaeological site by the gazette dated 16th September 2023 as below:

The premises bounded on the North by School Mawatha; on the East by private lands; on the South by by-road and on the West by Kamburupitiya–Deyyandara Road and the ancient wayside resting place situated therein at the Kamburupitiya junction in Kamburupitiya village in the Grama Niladhari Division of Kamburupitiya in Divisional Secretary’s Division, Kamburupitiya in the District of Matara, Southern Province (North Latitudes 6^°48′ 13” N and East Longitudes 80°33′ 98.3” E).

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