Temple Trees is the
official residence
An official residence is the House, residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, Clergy, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-relate ...
of the
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
The Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the head and most senior member of parliament in the cabinet of ministers. It is the second-most powerful position in Sri Lanka's executive branch behind the president, w ...
. It is located in
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
,
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 ...
. Several recent Presidents have used it as their official residence as well.
History
Private residence
The history of ''Temple Trees'' dates back to early 19th century. Its ownership passed through several prominent
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
administrators and traders. It was owned between 1830 and 1834 by John Walbeoff of the
British Civil Service
His Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as His Majesty's Civil Service, the Home Civil Service, or colloquially as the Civil Service is the permanent bureaucracy or secretariat of Crown employees that supports His Majesty's Government, which ...
, who headed the Cinnamon Department of Ceylon. Christopher Elliott M.D.the Principal Medical Officer in Ceylon bought the house in 1848. He was also the proprietor and editor of the 'Colombo Observer'. During the Matale Rebellion it was the focal point for the public campaign against the excesses of Governor Torrington. In 1856 it was sold to John Philip Green who named it ''"Temple Trees"'' in 1856 after the
temple trees that grew around the
bungalow
A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof (usually with dormer windows), and may be surrounded by wide verandas.
The first house in England that was classified as a b ...
.
Colonial Secretary residence
The house was purchased by the British Government of Ceylon and became the residence of the
Colonial Secretary and thereafter the
Chief Secretary.
Prime Ministerial residence
With Ceylon gaining self-rule with the enactment of the new constitution,
D. S. Senanayake was appointed the first
Prime Minister of Ceylon
The Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the head and most senior member of parliament in the cabinet of ministers. It is the second-most powerful position in Sri Lanka's executive branch behind the president, w ...
on 24 September 1947. Senanayake took up residence at ''Temple Trees'' making it the official Prime Ministerial residence. Some Prime Ministers, since then have preferred to stay at their private homes and only use ''Temple Trees'' for official functions. Such as
S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike ( si, සොලොමන් වෙස්ට් රිජ්වේ ඩයස් බණ්ඩාරනායක; ta, சாலமன் வெஸ்ட் ரிட்ஜ்வே டயஸ் ப� ...
, who was assassinated while at his private residence at Rosmead Place, and
Ranil Wickramasinghe who use his
private house in 117, 5th Lane, Colombo 03. Temple Trees has taken centre stage in many episodes of modern Sri Lankan history. During the
1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt
The 1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt (also known as the ''Colonels' coup'' ) was a failed military coup d'état planned in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). A group of Christian officers in the military and police planned to topple the government of Prime ...
by senior police and reservist military officers, Temple Trees was the principle target. The armoured cars stationed there were withdrawn to facilitate a swift take over by troops of the
Ceylon Artillery
The Sri Lanka Artillery (SLA) is the artillery arm of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of ten regular regiments and two volunteer regiments. The SLA is headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.
The emblem of the SLA is modeled after tha ...
. However the coup was thwarted by the
Police CID and internal security detail of the
Royal Ceylon Navy took up guard at Temple Trees. The coup leaders were later brought to Temple Trees for questioning and detained there until they were
remanded.
It once again became a refuge for
Sirima Bandaranaike when she was rushed there on the night of 4 April 1971 after an assassination plot was uncovered, to be carried out at her private residence at Rosmead Place, at the outset of the
1971 JVP Insurrection. Many cabinet ministers also took refuge at Temple Trees during the early days of the insurrection. It soon became the primary command center for all military operations against the insurrection. Since the 1970s, Temple Trees has been declared a high security zone with many roads around the mansion and its grounds closed off due to the
Sri Lankan Civil War and the
2022 Sri Lankan protests
The 2022 Sri Lankan protests ( si, අරගලය, translit=Aragalaya, lit=Struggle), are mass protests that began in March 2022 against the government of Sri Lanka. The government has been criticized for mismanaging the Sri Lankan economy, ...
.
Temple Trees has been the official residence of all
United National Party
The United National Party, often abbreviated as UNP ( si, එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය, translit=Eksath Jāthika Pakshaya, ta, ஐக்கிய தேசியக் கட்சி, translit=Aikkiya Tēciyak Kaṭci), ...
Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka. After 1994,
Sri Lanka Freedom Party
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party ( si, ශ්රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂය, translit=Śrī Laṁkā Nidahas Pakṣaya; ta, இலங்கை சுதந்திரக் கட்சி, translit=Ilaṅkai Cutantirak Ka� ...
Presidents used this house as their residence and the Prime Ministers of that party used
Visumpaya. The first Prime Minister from the
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
The Sri Lanka People's Front ( si, ශ්රී ලංකා පොදුජන පෙරමුණ, translit=Śrī Laṃkā Podujana Peramuna; ta, இலங்கை பொதுஜன முன்னணி, translit=Ilaṅkai Potujaṉa Mu� ...
,
Mahinda Rajapaksha has taken up use of Temple Trees, while retaining his former official residence at Wijerama which was allocated to him as a former President.
Occupation by protesters during the 2022 protests
On 9 July 2022, a large number of protesters demanding the President
Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa ( si, නන්දසේන ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ; ta, நந்தசேன கோட்டாபய ராஜபக்ஷ; born 20 June 1949) is a former Sri Lankan military ...
and the Prime Minister
Ranil Wickremasinghe
Ranil Wickremesinghe ( si, රනිල් වික්රමසිංහ, ta, ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்க; born 24 March 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician who is the current president of Sri Lanka since 21 July 2 ...
to resign, entered and sacked Temple Trees, refusing to leave until their resignations. On 14 July protesters peacefully withdrew from the premises.
List of occupants of Temple Trees
See also
*
President's House, Colombo
President's House is the official residence and workplace of the President of Sri Lanka, located at Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Since 1804 it had been the residence of British Governors and Governors-General and was known as t ...
*
Sirimathipaya Mansion
*
Visumpaya
References
{{Colombo
Houses in Colombo
Official residences in Sri Lanka
Prime ministerial residences
*
Manor houses in Sri Lanka
British colonial architecture in Sri Lanka