President's Pavilion
| President's Pavilion | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Town or city | Kandy |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Design and construction | |
| Client | Government of Sri Lanka |
President's Pavilion is an official residence of the President of Sri Lanka, located in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This was formerly the Governor's Pavilion until 1972 when Sri Lanka became a republic. It is located close to the sacred Temple of the Tooth in the center of the city of Kandy at the head of the Pavilion Street. Although an official residence, it is used rarely for official functions, most notably during the Esala Perahera.
[edit] History
After the British gained control of the Kandyan Kingdom in 1815 by the Kandyan Convention it governed the former Kandian Kingdom as a protectorate. However following the Uva Rebellion, three years later in which Kandy was captured by the rebels, the British moved to combined both parts of the island under a central administration. However Kandy remained an important city second only to the capital Colombo.
Therefor a European styled villa was constructed in the late 18 century for the use of the British Governor of Ceylon during his visits to the city. It was used for hosting Royal visits to Kandy. Most notably the visit of Prince Edward, The Prince of Wales in 1875.
In 1944, during World War II, the South East Asia Command of the allies was moved to Kandy, where it remained till the end of the war. Admiral Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of the South East Asia Command took up residency at the Governor's Pavilion till the end of the war.
Since independence in 1948 the house became the official residence of the Governor General of Ceylon in Kandy. It was formally renamed as the President’s Pavilion in 1972 after Sri Lanka became a republic. William Gopallawa was the last Governor General and first President of Sri Lanka to reside at the house.
[edit] External links
- Dr.Tony Donaldson reflects on the Prince of Wales’ visit to Ceylon in 1875, 7 days in Ceylon
- 85th Death Anniversary of Governor Sir John Anderson : A British Governor who loved Sri Lanka, by Wilfred M. Gunasekara
- I’m happy when I can make others happy’, Well-known and popular personality of Kandy, Dr. Nihal Karunaratne recalls anecdotes of a colourful life to Udumbara Udugama
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