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Ambalama
An ambalama ( Sinhala: අම්බලම) is a place constructed for pilgrims, traders and travellers to rest in Sri Lanka. This is a simple structure designed to provide shelter for the travellers. The last examples of anbalange remained until about the end of the 1970s. There were no charges involved in using an Ambalama. History According to Anuradha Seneviratna and Benjamin Polk pilgrimage rest-houses like Ambalamas were well established before 230 BC as Mauryan kings issued orders carved on stones or iron columns for planting of avenues of trees and for building shelters for the comfort of pilgrims. Ambalamas in Sri Lanka, many of them several centuries old, have been kept close to their youth by the continuous replacements of decaying parts and are among the oldest wood structures in Sri Lanka. Prominent families of a locality donate and maintain a shelter, or they are put up by the villagers as a place to rest and meet. In literature In Salalihini and Gira sandeshas ...
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Panavitiya Ambalama
Panavitiya Ambalama ( Sinhala: පනාවිටිය අම්බලම) is an ambalama situated in Sri Lanka. An ''ambalama ()'' is a place constructed for pilgrims, traders and travellers to rest. Panavitiya Ambalama is a place famous for its ornate wood carvings which are regarded to be on par with those at Embekka Devalaya, Lankathilaka and Gadaladeniya Viharas. Location Panavitiya Ambalama is situated in the village of Panavitiya () off Matiyagane () in the Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. The location is accessible by vehicles as of 2019. One of the routes that can be taken for reaching the ''ambalama'' from Colombo is by taking the Negombo-Kurunegala highway to ''Matiyagane'' () school junction via Dambadeniya () and then turning left at the junction onto ''Dangolla'' () road. ''Kajugas handiya'' () bus stop can be reached by continuing on ''Dangolla'' () road for another 2 km. Panavitiya Ambalama can be reached by travelling another 1.5 km along the road af ...
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Appallagoda Ambalama
The Appallagoda Ambalama is a traditional resting place, or ambalama, in a rural environment in the village of Appallagoda, from the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka. Built in 1922, it is an example of traditional, indigenous architecture and is known as the largest stone ambalama in the Kandy region. Architecture The Appallagoda Ambalama has a floor area of approximately and measures from floor to pinnacle. On the inside, around the ambalama, are stone seats. Caste differences dictated the different levels in the seating area. The roof is supported by two sets of stone columns, twelve externally and four internally. The ambalama has two broken stone columns on the northeastern side. The local villagers claim that the columns were constructed this way deliberately when the ambalama was built to ward off inauspicious omens. The roof has a brass pinnacle that is indicative of the architectural pattern of that period. A prominent feature at the front of this ambalama is the st ...
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Giruwa Ambalama
Giruwa Ambalama ( Sinhala:ගිරුවා අම්බලම) is a historic wayside rest beside the Aluth Nuwara Dedimunda Devalaya site built by Queen Sunetradevi chief consort of King Parakramabahu II (A.D 1236-1276) and mother of King Bhuvanekabahu I. The pillars remaining at the site are supposed to be belonging to the period of King Bhuvanekabahu I. It has been conserved by the Archaeological department at least three times. See also *Panavitiya Ambalama *Appallagoda Ambalama *Kadugannawa Ambalama Kadugannawa Ambalama ( Sinhala:කඩුගන්නාව අම්බලම) is a historic wayside rest that is found – on the left, when traveling from ''Colombo to Kandy'', a few metres before the Kadugannawa Hairpin turn aka Kadugannaw ... References Buildings and structures in Sabaragamuwa Province Archaeological protected monuments in Kegalle District {{SriLanka-hist-stub ...
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Kadugannawa Ambalama
Kadugannawa Ambalama ( Sinhala:කඩුගන්නාව අම්බලම) is a historic wayside rest that is found – on the left, when traveling from ''Colombo to Kandy'', a few metres before the Kadugannawa Hairpin turn aka Kadugannawa pass. Built in the early 19th century during the British colonial rule in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the Ambalama is now more than 200 years old A popular stopover for horsemen and merchants traveling from the lowlands to the ancient hill capital Kandy Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ..., this structure resembles the Kandyan Era architecture and is of archaeological value. It was renovated by the Ministry of Tourism under the technical guidance of the Department of Archeology at a cost of Rs. 300,000.00 and now this structur ...
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Sinhala Language
Sinhala ( ; , ''siṁhala'', ), sometimes called Sinhalese (), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka, who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. Sinhala is also spoken as the first language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, totalling about 2 million people as of 2001. It is written using the Sinhala script, which is a Brahmic scripts, Brahmic script closely related to the Grantha script of South India. Sinhala is one of the official and national languages of Sri Lanka. Along with Pali, it played a major role in the development of Theravada, Theravada Buddhist literature. The early form of the Sinhala language, is attested as early as the 3rd century BCE. The language of these inscriptions with long vowels and aspirated consonants is a Prakrit similar to Magadhi, a regional associate of the Middle Indian Prakrits that has been used during the time of the Buddha. The closest ...
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Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, and southeast of the Arabian Sea; it is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Sri Lanka shares a maritime border with India and Maldives. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is its legislative capital, and Colombo is its largest city and financial centre. Sri Lanka has a population of around 22 million (2020) and is a multinational state, home to diverse cultures, languages, and ethnicities. The Sinhalese are the majority of the nation's population. The Tamils, who are a large minority group, have also played an influential role in the island's history. Other long established groups include the Moors, the Burghers ...
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Anuradha Seneviratna
Prof. Anuradha Seneviratna (July 13, 1938 - July 9, 2009) was a renowned Sri Lankan scholar. He wrote many scholarary works and he was a Senior Professor in the Department of Sinhala, University of Peradeniya. He has also worked in University of Colombo and was the Director of the Institute of Aesthetic Studies. He was educated at Dharmaraja College, Kandy. He was born in Eriyagama, Kandy Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ..., on July 13, 1938, and died on July 9, 2009. Writings Seneviratna has written nearly 70 books in English and Sinhala, the most famous being; *''Purana Anuradhapuraya: Aramika Nagaraya'' (Ancient Anuradhapura: The Monastic City) *''Polonnaruva, Medieval Capital of Sri Lanka: An Illustrated Survey of Ancient Monuments'' *''Sunset in a Valley: Kot ...
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Benjamin Polk
280px, Narayanhity Palace Museum (formerly Narayanhity Royal Palace) in Kathmandu, Nepal ">Nepal.html" ;"title="Kathmandu, Nepal">Kathmandu, Nepal Benjamin Kauffman Polk (18 May 1916 – 23 April 2001) was an American designer and architect, best known for his work in India and Nepal. Polk was raised by his parents, Harry Herndon Polk (30 November 1875 – 28 August 1949) and Alice Kauffman (12 August 1878 – 30 July 1973) in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa. He practiced architecture in San Francisco from 1948 to 1952, where he met his future wife and companion, Emily Despain (née Isaacs). The couple moved to India in 1952, where they would remain until September 1963. Polk designed both in the public and private sector. In 1955 he formed an association with another expatriate American architect, Joseph Allen Stein, later adding civil engineer Binoy K. Chatterjee, to form the firm of Stein, Chatterjee and Polk. Polk and Chatterjee left the firm in 1961, moving their new offi ...
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Mauryan Empire
The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. Quote: "Magadha power came to extend over the main cities and communication routes of the Ganges basin. Then, under Chandragupta Maurya (c.321–297 bce), and subsequently Ashoka his grandson, Pataliputra became the centre of the loose-knit Mauryan 'Empire' which during Ashoka's reign (c.268–232 bce) briefly had a presence throughout the main urban centres and arteries of the subcontinent, except for the extreme south." The Maurya Empire was centralized by the conquest of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, and its capital city was located at Pataliputra (modern Patna). Outside this imperial center, the empire's geographical extent was dependent on the loyalty of military commanders who controlled the armed cities sprinkling it. During Asho ...
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Pita Kotte Gal Ambalama
Pita Kotte Gal Ambalama ( Sinhala:පිටකෝට්ටේ ගල් අම්බලම) is a historic Ambalama building (wayside rest) situated at Pita Kotte junction, Western province, Sri Lanka. It was used as a resting place or waiting place for the visitors who came to ancient capital of Kotte kingdom as well as Kotte Raja Maha Vihara. The building has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological protected monument under the No.9 of the Government Archaeological Act published in 1940. Pita Kotte Gal Ambalama dates back to the time of the Kotte period. The earliest written evidence about this Ambalama is found in a map of the Kingdom of Kotte (1413-1565) which depicts the present site of the Ambalama. The structure however was dismantled and re-located recently due to widening of the road by Road Development Authority The Road Development Authority (commonly abbreviated as RDA); ( si, මාර්ග සංවර්ධන අධිකාරිය; t ...
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Flophouse
A flophouse (American English) or dosshouse (British English) is a place that offers very low-cost lodging, providing space to sleep and minimal amenities. Characteristics Historically, flophouses, or British "doss-houses", have been used for overnight lodging by those who needed the lowest cost alternative to staying with others, shelters, or sleeping outside. Generally rooms are small, bathrooms are shared, and bedding is minimal, sometimes with mattresses or mats on the floor, or canvas sheets stretched between two horizontal beams creating a series of hammock-like beds. People who make use of these places have often been called transients and have been between homes. Quarters are typically very small, and may resemble office cubicles more than a regular room in a hotel or apartment building. Some flophouses qualify as boarding houses, but only if they offer meals. American flophouses date at least to the 19th century, but the term ''flophouse'' itself is only attested fr ...
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