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photograph by : Vasantha
In ancient times, people traveled from place to place on foot or by cart. Journeys for pilgrimage or trade were measured in days, not hours and minutes as they are today. Therefore, rest stops, also known as ambalams, sprang up along the routes. These ambalams were used by travelers to safely spend the night and to prepare simple meals. They were built mainly on commonly used routes. When building ambalams, a location with the necessary facilities for a traveler was chosen, that is, near a well or a stream.
At the same time, these ambalams also became an important place for the people of that village to gather. Ambalams were often built under royal patronage or with the patronage of local dignitaries. Therefore, the size and artistic creations of these ambalams varied according to the status and the wealth of the people who provided patronage.
Most of the ambalams found today are buildings created during the Kandyan period. Some ambalams are deteriorating or have already been destroyed without any maintenance. But there are a number of ambalams that have been preserved by the Department of Archeology.
About 500 meters along the Mollligoda road (Sri Somananda Mawatha) starting from near the Ganetenna Vidyalaya in Mawanella, you will come across the Ganetenna Vidyalaya grounds. After passing it, about 200 meters further, you will find a road to the right. About 350 meters down that road, you can see a dilapidated ambalama next to an ancient Bodhi tree. Since this ambalama does not have a proper name, we’ll call it the Molligoda Ambalama.
The Molligoda Ambalama is a small square stone ambalama. This ambalama is built on a stone foundation about 2½ feet high. Large, well-cut stone blocks have been used for this. On top of it, 4 stone pillars have been built. The roof of this is completely collapsed. Only three of the four pillars remain.
No ancient information about this ambalama is found. But it may have been built in the late 19th or early 20th century. The famous Aluth Nuwara Devalaya is about 1.5 km southwest of this ambalama. If you take the current road, it is 2.5 km away. Perhaps there was an ancient route to the Aluth Nuwara Devalaya through the road where this ambalama is located. This ambalama may have been used by travelers to offer offerings to the ancient Bodhi tree and to rest.
Also See
- List of Ambalama’s in Sri Lanka
- Ancient Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of Molligoda Ambalama
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
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Traveling Directions to Molligoda Ambalama
| From Mawanella (Hingula) to Molligoda Ambalama |
| Via: Sri Dharmarathana Mawatha Total distance: 3 km Time taken: 10 minutes Time to spend: Approximately 15 minutes Driving directions: View on Google Maps |
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