In
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 ...
n architecture a pila is a type of
veranda
A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure.
Although the form ''veran ...
that was used for sitting, resting or working on that is most notably found in the homes of
Sinhalese
Sinhala may refer to:
* Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka
* Sinhalese people
* Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka
* Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language
** Sinha ...
farm houses. The floor or platform is projected beyond the walls creating a continuous narrow ledge on the exterior of the building. Sri Lankan houses and other buildings that featured a courtyard could also have an inner pila.
The pila was built up from stone and earth brick which was smoothly plastered and finished with
cow dung
Cow dung, also known as cow pats, cow pies or cow manure, is the waste product (faeces) of bovine animal species. These species include domestic cattle ("cows"), bison ("buffalo"), yak, and water buffalo. Cow dung is the undigested residue ...
, creating a hygienic, hard and impervious surface. The houses of higher status people would have an increased number of rooms connecting the internal pila.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries visitors to houses with a pila would be received and entertained there. For people of lower status
kolombu ketes, low wooden seats, would occasionally be brought out for their use. In later times, due to Hindu influence, visitors of the same status as the owners, as dictated by caste, were invited into the courtyard of the house but were rarely invited to sleep there. However, in cases of emergency those visitors might stay in a front room.
See also
*
Engawa
An or is an edging strip of non-tatami-matted flooring in Japanese architecture, usually wood or bamboo. The may run around the rooms, on the outside of the building, in which case they resemble a porch or sunroom.
Usually, the is outside t ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
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Sri Lankan architectural elements
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