Memorial of the 1848 Matale Rebellion Freedom Fighters (1848 මාතලේ කැරැල්ල විරුවන්ගේ සිහිවටනය)

54 years ago8 months ago05 mins

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(4 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

Memorial of the 1848 Matale Rebellion Freedom Fighters

The Matale rebellion, also known as the Rebellion of 1848, was carried out by the Sinhalese peasants for the first time against the suppressive British Rule 33 years after the capture of the Kandyan Kingdom.

An economic depression in the United Kingdom had severely affected the local coffee and cinnamon industry. On 1 July 1848, a license fees were imposed on guns, dogs, carts, shops and labour was made compulsory on plantation roads, These taxes bore heavily not only on the purse but also on the traditions of the Kandyan peasant. A mass movement against the oppressive taxes was developing. The masses were without the leadership of king king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe being captured and deported to a prison in India in 1815. The leadership passed for the first time in the Kandyan provinces into the hands of ordinary people.

On 26 July 1848, the leaders and the supporters entered the historic Dambulla Viharaya and at 11.30 a.m., Gongalegoda Banda was consecrated by the head monk of Dambulla, Ven. Giranegama Thera as the king “Sri Wickrama Subha Sarva Siddhi Rajasinghe“. He asked the people whether they were on the side of the Buddhists or the British. On the same day Dines, his brother was declared the sub-king and Dingirala as the uncrowned king of the Sat Korale. Veera Puran Appu was appointed prime minister and the sword bearer to Gongalegoda Banda and attended his consecration ceremony with 4000 others.

After the proclamation of the king, he with his army left Dambulla via Matale to capture Kandy from the British. They attacked government buildings including the Matale Kachcheri and destroyed some of the tax records. Simultaneously, Dingirirala instigated attacks in Kurunegala, where eight people were killed by the British.

However this rebellion ended with the capture of Veera Puran Appu and of Gongalegoda Banda and Dingirala few months later.

This pillar in memory of the freedom fighters led by Gongalegoda Banda and the Veera Puran Appu had been erected in the heart of the Matale town adjacent to the Government Agents Residency along the Matale-Kandy road via the V.T. Nanayakkara park and the Aluvihara stadium. The memorial pillar had been erected at the scene of the trial and the place of execution of suspects. The monument by itself is an impressive construction in the form of a monumental pillar with the figure of a lion at the top.

The monument reads,

MATALE REBELLION
IN MEMORY OF THE LEADERS
GONGALEGODA BANDA
PURAN APPU
AND
OTHERS KILLED IN THE MATALE REBELLION OF
1848

Today it lies in the middle of the road by Alick Aluvihare Indoor Stadium of Matale. To reach the monument, take the William Gopallawa road from the Matale Roundabout travel 300 meters to find it in a island in the middle of the road.

References

Abeyawardhana, H. A. P. (2004) Heritage of Kandurata: Major Natural, Cultural, and Historic Sites. Kandy: Kandurata Development Bank, in association with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

Also See

Map of Memorial of the 1848 Matale Rebellion Freedom Fighters

Please click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map (ගූගල් සිතියම් පහලින්)

Show Location (ගූගල් සිතියම)

The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.

Driving Directions to Memorial of the 1848 Matale Rebellion Freedom Fighters

Route from Matale town to Memorial of the 1848 Matale Rebellion Freedom Fighters

Though :
distance : 300 meters
Travel time : 5 minutes
Driving directions : see on google map

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Negombo Lellama Fish Market : An Explosion of Colours (මීගමුව ලෙල්ලම)
The Negombo Fish Market is a bustling hub of activity located in the coastal city of Negombo, Sri Lanka. It is renowned for its vibrant atmosphere and the wide variety of fresh seafood available for sale. Fishermen bring in their catches from the Indian Ocean, and the market comes alive with the sights, sounds, and smells of the sea. […]
Mihintale Slab Inscriptions and the Relic House (4වන මිහිඳු රජුගේ මිහින්තලේ පුවරු ලිපි)
The inscription of King Mahinda IV belonging to the tenth century is installed on the two sides of the entrance to this Vihara. The relic house is a square building. […]
Dambegoda Pillar Inscription in Maligawila (දඹේගොඩ ටැම් ලිපිය)
Established by King Mahinda IV (956-972) Dambegoda Pillar Inscription in Maligawila narrates the religious acts of the king and lays down rules for the administration of certain religious establishments. […]
Kotttapitiya Slab Inscription (කෝට්ටපිටිය පුවරු ලිපිය)
The Kotttapitiya Slab Inscription is considered one of the 14 valuable inscriptions of the Anuradhapura Era. The pillar inscription is believed to have been placed by King Mahinda IV (956-972) and is 6 feet in height and 1.5 feet wide. 45 lines of text have been inscribed on this pillar. […]
Ranawa Andiyagala Pillar Inscription (රණව ආඬියාගල ටැම් ලිපිය)
Placed by King Dappula IV in the early part of the 10th century, this Ranawa Andiyagala Pillar Inscription declares a sanctuary for Animal, Plants as well as Humans in the Namal Uyana area. Even royal guards were prohibited from entering this area to apprehend criminals. […]
Dutugemunu Pillar at Ruwanweli Seya (දුටුගැමුණු ශිලා ස්ථම්භය)
Many do not pay special attention to this pillar which is generally called "Dutugenumu Pillar" but the story behind this pillar is interesting as the construction of the Ruwanweli Seya itself. This pillar was installed by King Devanampiyatissa (250-210 BCE) on the advice of Mihindu Maha Thero. […]
Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Burial Site in Maduru Oya Valley
In this Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Cemetery, scattered across the landscape, lie between 15 to 20 graves. Unfortunately, the peaceful serenity of these resting places has been disrupted by thorn bushes, which have taken root amidst many of the tombs. Adding to the desecration, some graves have fallen victim to the destructive hands of treasure hunters, who have ransacked them in search of valuables. […]
Gurugalhinna Megalithic Burial Grounds
Gurugalhinna Megalithic Cemetery was initially uncovered and examined in 1896 by R. W. Levers. Subsequently, in the 1970s, Raja De Silva from the Department of Archaeology led excavations at Gurugalhinna. However, the burials at the site have not been scientifically dated. […]
Dalada Maligawa of Kurunegala Kingdom (කුරුණෑගල රාජධානියේ දළදා මාලිගාව)
The old city of Kurunegala Kingdom was spread between Kuruminigala and Ibbagala, bounded by Athugala. Even today ruins of the palace complex, the Temple of Tooth (Dalada Maligawa) and other buildings inside a semi-circular are found on this strip of land between Athugala and Kuruminigala. […]
The Best of Negombo (මීගමුව)
Negombo offers some of the better beaches on the west coast of Sri Lanka, and draws tourists who stop over for a day on their way to or from the airport. Some quiet stretches of the beach are maintained by the tourist hotels, while others are always busy with fisherman and their equipment. […]
Vessagiriya Monastery of Anuradhapura Kingdom (වෙස්සගිරිය)
Vessagiriya is located few hundred meters left to the current Isurumuniya on the old Anuradhapura-Kurunegala road. This temple complex is located in and around 3 beautiful bolder formations spread across a large area in front of the Tissa Weva. On one these is a remains of a dagaba. […]
Inguruwaththa Purana Tampita Viharaya (ඉඟුරුවත්ත පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
The Tampita Viharaya at the Inguruwaththa Purana Viharaya is built on 2 feet 4 inches high 8 granite stumps during the era of king Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747 – 1781). . A circumambulating path is built around the image house protected by a half height wall. […]
Hiripathwella Mayurawathi Sri Bodhirajarama Purana Tampita Viharaya (හිරිපත්වැල්ල මයුරාවතී ශ්‍රී බෝධිරාජාරාම පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
Hiripathwella Mayurawathi Sri Bodhirajarama Purana Viharaya is an ancient Buddhist temple with a Tampita Viharaya belonging to the Kandyan era. […]
Hindhawa Sri Wijesundararamaya Purana Tampita Viharaya (හිඳව ශ්‍රී විජේසුන්දරාරාමය පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
Hindhawa Sri Wijesundararamaya Purana Viharaya is an ancient viharaya with a Tampita Viharaya belonging to the Kandyan era. The temple lies 7 km off Wariyapola in the Bamunakotuwa area. […]
Buttala Yatiyallathota Kutumbala Rajamaha Viharaya – බුත්තල යටියල්ලාතොට කුටුම්බාල රජමහා විහාරය
Buttala Yatiyallathota Kutumbala Rajamaha Viharaya is believed to be during the reign of Mahanaga, brother of king Devanampiatissa (250-210 BC). One of the two large stupa still remains as mound of earth while a new stupa has been built on top of the other. […]
Eethanawatta Meddegoda Purana Tampita Viharaya – ඊතණවත්ත මැද්දේගොඩ පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය
The Tampita Viharaya at the Eethanawatta Purana Viharaya is built upon 12 granite pillars. A narrow circumambulating path around the main chamber can be seen. The outer wall of the inner chamber is covered in paintings. Entrance to the chamber is through a finely decorated Makara Throrana (Dragon Arch). […]
Buttala Gonaganara Walagamba Purana Viharaya – බුත්තල ගෝනගංආර වලගම්බා පුරාණ විහාරය
Walagamba Purana Viharaya in Gonaganara in Buttala is an ancient temple scatted with ruins of the ancient civilization in Rohana area. The temple is hidden deep inside Buttala on the Sella Kataragama road. […]
Mullegama Mulgirigala Rajamaha Viharaya – මුල්ලේගම මුල්ගිරිගල රජමහා විහාරය
Mullegama Mulgirigala Rajamaha Viharaya is an ancient cave temple with inscriptions recording donations to maha sanga which has been dated to 1st - 3rd centuries BC. […]
Buttala Katugahagalge Rajamaha Viharaya (බුත්තල කටුගහගල්ගේ රජමහා විහාරය)
Katugahagalge Rajamaha Viharaya is an ancient cave temple with its origin going back to pre christian era with some unique features including a Nissanka Gau Inscription pillar, […]
Dimbulagala Namal Pokuna Monastic Complex at (දිඹුලාගල නාමල් පොකුණ ආරන්‍යය)
Dimbulagala Namal Pokuna is an ancient armaic complex lying on a peaceful undisturbed rocky outcrop close to the Popular Dimbulagala Temple. Probably part of the same complex in the ancient times […]