Maduwanwela Walawwa: Difference between revisions
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*[http://www.serendib.btoptions.lk/article.php?issue=20&id=502 A kingdom within Kingdom, Sri Lankan Air Lines, Serendib] |
*[http://www.serendib.btoptions.lk/article.php?issue=20&id=502 A kingdom within Kingdom, Sri Lankan Air Lines, Serendib] |
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[[Category:Manor houses]] |
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[[Category:Houses in Sri Lanka]] |
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{{Uncategorized|date=January 2015}} |
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Revision as of 10:26, 7 March 2015
| File:Maduwanwela Walawwa.jpg | |
| Alternative name | Maduwanwela Mansion |
|---|---|
| Location | Sri Lanka |
| Region | Ratnapura District, Sabaragamuwa Province |
| Type | Archaeological Reservation |
| History | |
| Founded | in 1700 to 1905 |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | Archaeological Department, Sri Lanka |
| Public access | allowed |
| Image copyright, Prabodh Koushalya | |
Maduwanwela Walawwa is a historical mansion located in upper South of Sri Lanka. Situated in the town Kolonne which lies between Embilipitiya and Suriyawewa in Ratnapura District, in a distance of 207 kilometres from the capital, Colombo, Maduwanwela Walawwa is well known as an architectural heritage of the country. Historical resources say the mansion had been built since 1700s to 1900s by the Maduwanwela clan in the middle of a land of over 80 000 acres in area.
History
The ancient anecdotes around Maduwanwela Walawwa are interesting and inspiring. According to the stories and written evidence, Maduwanwela Maha Mohottala who had been a weapon supplier of the king of Kandy, had been gifted this beautiful land because of one of his outstanding services for the king, Wimaladharmassoriya II. It had been a special task that could please the king and two legends can be heard about it.
The first one says; Maduwanwela Maha Mohottala had captured a rare, snow white deer which had been roaming in the wilderness nearby Maduwanwela region and presented it to the Kandyan king. The delighted king had gifted Maha Mohottala such a huge land.
According to the second story it had been a Dutch outlaw, loitering in the forest bothering villagers, so the Kandyan king had ordered to bring the head of that Dutch. Maduwanwela Mohottala had been able to fulfil this order and to be the owner of the king’s reward of 54 000 acres.
The Maduwanwela estate had been expanded by another gift of a second king, it seems. Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last king of Sri Lanka had given another 24 000 acres to Maduwanwela clan.
Not only about the king’s gift, but also there is another legend about building the Maduwanwela Walawwa (Maduwanwela Mansion). Once Maduwanwela Maha Mohottala had been watching game in the Maduwanwela land. Then he had come across an unusual sight, a jackal had been chased by a hare. By seeing the feat of the hare, Mohottala had thought that the relevant spot of his land had a superior power of victory and it was an ideal place to build up his mansion. It was just the start of the story.
The Black Prince
After nearly three generations from Maduwanwela Maha Mohottala, the most remarkable chain of Maduwanwela clan was born in 1884. mostly known as Maduwanwela Maha Disawa(provincial ruler), his full name is Wickamasinghe Wijesundara Eaknayake Abayakoon Mudiyanse Ralahamillage Sir Jemes Willeyam Maduwanwela. British rulers called him as the Black Prince because he was so strict, punctual, fearless and very disrespectful towards the colonial rulers. He had even punished the British people without caring that they were the rulers of the country at that time; thus, he was known as the black skinned prince of his own kingdom.
Maduwanwela Disawa lost his parents when he was very young and was raised by his grandmother in a residence of a relative of his family. He attended to St. Thomas College, Mount Lavinia and after leaving the school he came back to Kolonne region and became the village Headman. This title was known as ‘Rate Mahaththaya’. Then he was promoted to the post of Maha Disawa, that means the provincial ruler.
Afterwards, he married Ekneligoda Kumarihami a lady from a noble family and with the dowry of her the total area of Maduwanwela estate reached this number of 80 000 acres. It says Maduwanwela Disawa had two wives and one daughter.
Against the foreign rulers
Maduwanwela Disawa is said to be Sri Lankan nobleman who tried to save his culture and religion against the British rulers. A religious Bo tree can be seen at the main entrance of the mansion and there is a special room for religious activities inside the residence. He was a very short man of 4 feet 8 inches in height. Because of that, every door frame of the mansion was built just five feet tall. The only person who could go through the arches on horseback without hitting his head was Maduwanwela Disawa. Because of this reason, all the visitors including English rulers had to bow their heads to Maha Disawa before entering his residence. He didn’t even respect the queen of England. Broken pieces of tiles carrying the picture of the queen was fixed to the floor in order to get them stepped on by the visitors. British rulers were unable to stand against Maduwanwela Maha Disawa's behaviour.
Those days there hadn’t been a bridge to cross the river in village Eraporuwa. English officers used to cross this river on the shoulders of the natives of the area while Maduwanwela Disawa had been informing the lack of a bridge to the rulers continuously. But the rulers hadn’t paid attention to the matter. To draw Englishmen’s attention, Maduwanwela Disawa was able to make a plan to put one of the officers into the water while crossing the river of a man’s shoulder. After the planned accident a bridge was built across the river. Maduwanwela Maha Disawa passed away on 6 September 1930.
Architecture
Maduwanwela Walawwa is a portrait of Kandyan architecture. Also the sources say it had been influenced by Indian Architecture too. The mansion had been built under Maduwanwelas for centuries. After the constructions added by Maduwawela Maha Disawe, the black prince the total area of the residence was 20 acres. He made the number of rooms 121 and the number of middle yards 21. But today only 47 rooms and 7 middle yards are remaining.
There are no written or legendary evidence about the architect of the mansion, but it is undoubtfully a work of a masterpiece. The thickness of a wall of a room is about 1.5 feet. Windows cannot be seen in the rooms except the sewing room, but the ventilation inside the Walawwa is amazing. Because of the middle yards those are open to the atmosphere, with 21 of them, the Walawwa is always refreshing. There is a special room in Maduwanwela Walawwa named ‘cool room’ or the ‘meeting room’ with a marvellous natural cooling system made of wood that reduces the temperature of the room.
Since Maduwanwela Maha Disawa was the provincial ruler of the area, he worked as the judge, himself. Therefore, it is seen a courthouse located to the left of the mansion with seating space for 100 people. The furniture and the equipment used for punishments are still there in the courthouse.
There had been a pipe line running from the nearby spring on a hillock up to the mansion and also an underground drainage system connecting Walawwa premises and Maduwanwela tank . Even today the bathrooms functioned using this water are seen in the mansion.
Maduwanwela Disawa built three stone arches and three watch huts and three walls in the mansion premises. Superior timber like Ebony, tamarind, jack, satinwood has been used for construction work of this two story building including staircase and doorways. Many of the archways and door frames are unusually short as they had been made according to the height of Maduwanwela Disawa.
Another remarkable feature of Maduwanwela Walawwa’s architecture is the mosaic tile pattern of the floor that is said to be influenced by Indian and western styles. These chipped tiles were bought over from Netherlands and it is believed that there is an Indian influence of tilling work with broken pieces of plates. In Brahmadaththa royal palace of India also can be seen this kind of decorations. Not only had the picture of the queen but also valuable gold coins and gems been embossed on floor. But nowadays the gems and coins cannot be seen on the floor. Even though the tiles were lain in 1905, they are still in excellent condition.
The garden
A stone gate frame can be seen at the entrance of the estate. As another fascinating feature of this estate the extensive gardens can be introduced. Three separate boundary walls segment the garden and Maduwanwela Disawa had constructed three stone arches. In the middle lies a fountain even though it is broken and empty by now, this fountain is a noticeable landmark in the Maduwanwela estate.
Adjoining the entrance, a large Bo tree that is encircled by a short stocky stone wall decorated with sculpted figures and ceramic plates as same as the other walls of the walawwa is in the sight.
Present status
Maduwanwela Walwwa is now under the Archaeological department of Sri Lanka while most of the old constructions has collapsed under the age of nearly 400 years. Only about one third of the rooms and middle yards are remaining. 42 rooms including store rooms, a few bedrooms, a bathroom and rooms set apart for special occasions such as alms giving functions are left by now.
Visitors can see a life sized portrait of the Maha Disawa on the wall with giant ornamental picture frame and its stand is made of the rarest of hard woods; Ebony, satin, Rosewood showing the majesty of the black prince of Sabaragamuwa.
