sri-lanka-13-full-pdf-ebook.pdf

Colombo

Colombo

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Colombo

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posh mansions, embassies, stylish cafes and
shops, sports grounds and a cluster of muse-
ums and galleries.
Colombo’s vivid white and domed 1928
Old Town Hall (Map p64; FR Senanayaka Mawa-
tha, Col 7) overlooks the area’s heart, Vihara-
mahadevi Park. To the south is the striking
Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre
(p79), which opened in 2011.

oNational Museum MUSEUM
(Map p64; %269 4767; Albert Cres, Col 7; adult/
child Rs 250/150; h9am-6pm, last entrance 5pm)
A large 9th-century stone Buddha greets
you with an enigmatic smile as you enter
Sri Lanka’s premier cultural institution. In
galleries dating back as far as 1877, you’ll
encounter all manner of art, carvings and
statuary from Sri Lanka’s ancient past, as
well as swords, guns and other paraphernalia
from the colonial period. There are fascinat-
ing 19th-century reproductions of English
paintings of Sri Lanka, and an excellent col-
lection of antique demon masks.
Look for the magnificent royal throne
made for King Wimaladharma in 1693, as
well as the 9th-century bronze Bodhisattva
Sandals. The grounds are shaded by magnif-
icent banyan trees.

De Soysa (Lipton) Circus lANDMARK
(Map p64; De Soysa (lipton) Circus, Col 7) One
corner of this bustling roundabout is occu-
pied by the popular Odel (p80) department
store. Opposite is the Cinnamon Gardens
Baptist Church (Map p64; De Soysa (lipton)
Circus, Col 7), which dates to 1877. Located just
south of the church is the Dewata-Gaha
Mosque (Map p64; Alexandra Pl, Col 7), a ram-
bling structure dating to 1802 that bustles
with people following the Friday afternoon
prayers. Meanwhile, the ragtag confection of
red and white bricks that was once the Eye
Hospital (Map p64; De Soysa (lipton) Circus, Col
7) now houses the Coroner’s Court while
awaiting its own rescue from fate.

oViharamahadevi Park PARK
(Map p64; Col 7) Colombo’s biggest park was
originally called Victoria Park but was re-
named in the 1950s after the mother of
King Dutugemunu. It’s notable for its su-
perb flowering trees, which bloom in March,
April and early May. Elephants used for cer-
emonies sometimes spend the night in the
park, chomping on palm branches. It has
been given a major sprucing up and now
boasts new benches (often occupied with

caressing couples), walkways, landscaping

and playgrounds.

Saskia Fernando Gallery ART gAllERY

(Map p64; %742 9010; http://www.saskiafernandogallery.

com; 41 Horton Pl, Col 7; h10am-7pm) Some of

the best contemporary Sri Lankan artists are

displayed in this white-washed compound.

Look for the huge elephant sculpture, creat-

ed from old mechanical parts. The namesake

owner is the daughter of local design maven

Shanth Fernando, of Paradise Road fame.

National Art Gallery ART gAllERY

(Map p64; 106 Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha,

Col 7; h9am-5pm) F The grandest thing

about the National Art Gallery is its name.

Next to the National Museum, it has a small

collection of portraits and landscapes shown

without labels or air-conditioning.

Lionel Wendt Centre ARTS CENTRE

(Map p64; %269 5794; http://www.lionelwendt.org;

18 guildford Cres, Col 7; h9am-1pm & 2-5pm

Mon-Fri, 10am-noon & 2-5pm Sat & Sun) With a

constantly changing lineup of cultural

events and regular art exhibitions as well

as performances, it’s worth turning up just

to see what’s on.

Colombo Racecourse HiSTORiC SiTE

(Map p64; Phillip gunawardena Mawatha) Once

the centre of harness racing in Colombo

(and a WWII airfield), the landmark grand-

stands here now face a new rugby ground,

while the buildings themselves house a large

collection of up-scale shops and cafes.

University of Colombo UNiVERSiTY

(University of Ceylon; Map p64) The 50-acre Uni-

versity of Colombo campus, which originally

opened as the Ceylon Medical School in 1870,

is surrounded by long tree-lined avenues

lined with colonial-era mansions. Of note is

Cumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha along the

southwest side of the sporting green. Ponder

the gracious lives of the people who built the

Italianate Baroque Saifee Villa (Map p64;

Cumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha) in 1910 and

the nearby turreted College House (Map p64;

Cumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha) in 1912.

Independence Memorial Hall MONUMENT

(Map p64; independence Sq, Col 7) Really a large

memorial building to Sri Lanka’s 1948 inde-

pendence from Britain, the huge stone edifice

is loosely based on Kandy’s Audience Hall.

This is a good place to escape Colombo’s

crowds as it always seems almost empty.