Traveling 2½ km from Welimada town in Badulla district on the Moragolla road, you can find this Ambalama by the Moragolla road inside the Downside Estate controlled by Malwatte Valley Plantations.
In ancient times, people traveled from place to place on foot or by cart. Pilgrimages or trade journeys were measured in days, not in hours as they are now. Therefore, resting places (way side rests) or ambalams were built at various places along these popular routes. These ambalams were used to cook small meals for travelers to spend the night safely. They are built around commonly used roads.
Moragolla Ambalama is small in size. It is made of brick and mortar. Except for the side of the entrance, all otjer three sides are completely closed by the wall. The roof is covered with Sinhala tiles in two layers.
Inside, the rear seat is taller than the two side seats. In many of the ambalams of the Kandy era, when the caste division was strict, seats can be seen at different heights for each cast. Its is interesting to see this feature in an ambalam in the middle of a tea plantation.
According to the above photo taken in 2015, the roof of this Ambalam has decayed and collapsed. Later, this Ambalam has been renovated and the roof is now covered with galvanized corrugated sheets (see photo below)
ඡායාරූපය : Lasantha Wijekoon
Also See
- List of Ambalama’s in Sri Lanka
- Ancient Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of Welimada Moragolla 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 Welimada Moragolla Ambalama
From Welimada to Moragolla Ambalama |
Via : Moragolla Road Total distance: 2.5 km Duration : 10 minutes Time to spend: About 15 minutes Driving Directions : View on Google Maps |