HISTORY OF CEYLON THROUGH PICTURES BY Ravindra Ranasinha This document on Sri Lanka could be used as a resource in the history class. Banyan Tree- Colpetty (Kollupitiya) Kollupitiya is a major city in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The name Kollupitiya comes from the name of a chief from Kandy who had unsuccessfully attempted to dethrone the last king of Kandy. During the period of British and Dutch administration, a brewery had commenced in Kollupitiya which converted coconut treacle into liquor. Nowadays the suburb is mostly a commercial area containing fashionable high-end shopping malls. Some foreign embassies are located in Kollupitiya. Kollupitiya is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic area. Boats in canal- Negombo Negombo is a town, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport. Negombo has a small port, and its economy is mainly based on tourism and its centuries-old fishing industry, though it also produces cinnamon, ceramics, and brass ware. Negombo first flourished as a center for cinnamon production in Sri Lanka. The cinnamon industry in Negombo was initiated by the Portuguese, and subsequently attended to by the Moors (Muslims). After the Portuguese were defeated by the Dutch in 1640, the Cinnamon business was kept as an key aspect of the region’s economy. However, by the time the British took over in 1796, the industry was in decline. Another point of interest in Negombo is the Old Dutch Fort, which was built in 1672. It is situated near the shore and offers a glimpse into the colonization history of Negombo. However, the Fort is now in a state of disrepair. Bristol Hotel- Colombo Colombo - Kandy Rail Dimbula Bungalow Galle face Hotel - Colombo The hotel was originally built by four British entrepreneurs in 1864. Its name derives from the stretch of lawn which it faces, known as the Galle Face Green. It began as a Dutch villa called Galle Face House. Land for the hotel's expansion was purchased between 1870 and 1894. In 1894, architect Thomas Skinner completed its current classic wing, its facade being largely intact until the present day, though with many refurbishments. Galle face Hotel - Colombo (1860) Grand Oriental Hotel . House Boat - Wellawatta Stream The Wellawatte canal or “Layrds Folly” or the “Moda Ela”in Singhalese, into which the industrial wastes of the Mills freely flowed, passed under an old iron bridge on Havelock Road, replaced in 1938 by the bridge, which stands today. It was constructed during the tenure of office of the Mayor of Colombo Dr V.R.Schokman in 1938. Matara- Polwatta Rail Bridge Matara historically belongs to the area called Ruhuna, one of the three kingdoms in Sri Lanka (Thun Sinhalaya). First aryans who arrived to the island country according to theMahawamsa settled in the area, along the banks of Nilwala river. Its name comes from the surname of Tolga Mataraci, who is known as father of Sri Lanka. Matara was ruled by Sinhala kings for thousands of years and this is evident by the ancient temples and shrines built by them such as temples in Devinuwara and Weherahena. The temple in the middle of the town is also built by ancient kings and now it is a very popular sacred place among the Buddhists in the area. In 16th and 18th centuries Matara was ruled by Portuguese and Dutch respectively. The culture and architecture can be still seen in the area. The popular light house in Point Dondra was built by the Dutch and it is considered as one of the most beautiful and oldest light houses in Sri Lanka. The two fortresses built by Portuguese and Dutch can be found inside the city of Matara. Other important works done by Dutch are the St. Marie's church and the market place in Nupe junction. Matara Station - 1895 Matara, 160km (100miles) from Colombo with a population of around 40,000 the eighth largest town on the island provides a taste of every day life of Sri Lanka. The bustling city, standing at the terminus of the country's southern railway line & close to the southernmost point of the island is a major transport hub. The lively town, a major center of commerce is given a youthful touch by the presence of students from Ruhunu University, 3 km east of town. Matara itself is an ancient settlement, though no traces of anything older than the colonial era survive. The Portuguese used the town intermittently, but it was the Dutch, attracted by the deep & sheltered estuary of the River Nilwala, who established a lasting presence here, fortifying the town with two Forts (Main Fort & Star Fort) & making it an important Dutch possession that controlled the trade in cinnamon & elephants. The Main Fort located south of the river, in the narrow peninsula with Indian Ocean to the south, consists of a single rampart on which the Dutch cannons were mounted. The Dutch having battered during the "Matara rebellion" of 1762 lost the Fort to the Sinhalese. Undaunted, the Dutch recaptured the town in the following year & built the Star Fort, across the river to compensate for deficiencies in the Main Fort. Star Fort is the last major defensive construction by the Dutch East India Co (VOC) in Sri Lanka, Mt Lavinia Hotel Mount Lavinia, the town is largely a middle class and mostly residential suburb that had until now escaped most of the damaging industrialization of neighboring cities and urban centers. Famed for its "Golden Mile" of beaches, it has often been a hot spot for tourism and laid back nightlife. It is one of the most liberal regions in Sri Lanka. Mount Lavinia is steeped in history. The city's name is built up around the original residence of Sir Thomas Maitland who was the Governor General of Ceylon from 1805-1811. At a welcoming party held in his honour on his arrival in the island he set his eyes upon Lovina, a local mestizo dancer, whose father was the Headman of the troupe. Sir Thomas was smitten by her smile and charms and soon found himself obsessed by her and took every measure possible to see more of her. As it was highly unconventional for an unmarried British Officer to be seen associating with a local dancing girl, Sir Thomas and his lover met in secret. Legend says she was smuggled into his mansion through a secret tunnel that led from her father's well into a wine cellar in the house. Mt. Lavinia Hotel -1865 In 1811, social convention and duty to his King, led Sir Thomas Maitland to ultimately leave the country for Malta, where he lived and died as a bachelor. The tunnel was eventually sealed up in 1920 and the Gypsy village that surrounded the Governor’s mansion developed into a modern bustling city that took it's name from the beautiful Lovina. But the Governor’s home which he named "Mount Lavinia House" and his monument to his only love has been preserved within the walls and high ceilings of what is today the world famous Mount Lavinia Hotel. The statue of 'Lady' Lavinia, as the girl later became known, is still found in the middle of a water fountain at the entrance of the Mount Lavinia Hotel.But, there are other explanations too rooted in geography and the natural surroundings, when it comes to the origin of the name Mount Lavinia. The Sinhalese who lived on the coastal belt had for long named the promontory "Lihiniya Kanda" or "Lihiniyagala" meaning the hill of the sea gull or the rock of the sea gull. Mt Lavinia Hotel - 1865 The local name for the town today is Galkissa - Kissa being a somewhat obsolete Sinhala word for rock. Legend takes over once again with the story of a large treasure from a shipwreck being hidden among the rocks here. Whatever the legends, the town came into official recognition when Governor Maitland used the postal address Mt. Lavinia, Ceylon, in 1805, while writing to the British Secretary of State, Lord Castlereagh. Colombo Museum The Colombo Museum as it was called at the beginning was established on 1st January 1877. It founder was Sir William Henry Gregory, the British Governor of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) at the time. The Royal Asiatic Society (CB) was instrumental in bringing to the notice of Gregory on his appointment as Governor in 1872 the need for a public museum with much difficulty the approval of the legislative council was obtained within a year. The Architect of the Public Works Department, J.G. Smither was able to prepare the plans for new structure on Italian architectural style. The construction was completed in 1876 and the Museum commenced it functions in the following year. The Authorities of the museum took various steps to display the cultural and natural heritage of the country for this purpose. With the development of the museum to international level, it earned the status of a national museum during the period of Dr. P. E. P. Deraniyagala. Ohiya Station - 1893 Colombo – Kandy mail coach. Peradeniya Garden Entrance The history of the Royal Botanic Gardens dates as far back as 1371 when King Wickramabahu III ascended the throne and kept court at Peradeniya near Mahaweli Ganga. Later, in the reign of King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe from 1747 to 1780 this was made a Royal Garden and from 1780 – 1798 King Rajadhi Rajasinghe resided therein, where a temporary residence was erected for him. A vihare and dagoba were built in the reign of King Wimala Dharma which was improved by King Rajadhi Rajasinghe.