The Appallagoda Ambalama is a traditional resting place, or

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 unt ...

, in a rural environment in the village of Appallagoda, from the city of

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 ...

in Sri Lanka. Built in 1922, it is an example of traditional,

indigenous architecture The field of Indigenous architecture refers to the study and practice of architecture of, for and by Indigenous people. It is a field of study and practice in the United States, Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Canada, Arctic area of Sápmi and m ...

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 An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient times, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages fr ...

. The roof has a

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

pinnacle that is indicative of the architectural pattern of that period. A prominent feature at the front of this ambalama is the stone "pinthäliya", a traditional container for drinking water.

History

There is no written documentation about the Appallagoda Ambalama and its history. One theory to explain this absence is that this building is a recent addition to the list of ambalamas in Sri Lanka. According to Local villagers, the Appallagoda Ambalama was built in 1922 to house trade parties. It was built under the orders of the local"

arachchi Arachchi ( si, ආරච්චි) was an influential post in the native headmen system in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) during the colonial era. Appointed by the Government Agent, the holder had much control over the people of the area and wielded quasi-j ...

" (head of the village) at that time. A

folktale A folktale or folk tale is a folklore genre that typically consists of a story passed down from generation to generation orally. Folktale may also refer to: Categories of stories * Folkloric tale from oral tradition * Fable (written form of the a ...

explains the four names engraved in the four internal stone columns in the ambalam. The story says that these four names belonged to some " thugs" from the southern part of Sri Lanka who settled in Kandy. The thugs supposedly used their magical powers to engrave their names on the columns.

References

{{coord missing, Sri Lanka Buildings and structures in Kandy District