Maduwanwela Walawwa is a Walauwa located in upper South of Sri Lanka. Situated in the town of Kolonne, which lies between Embilipitiya and Suriyakanda in Ratnapura District, a distance of 207 km from the Colombo.
History about Maduwanwela Walawwa
Built in the 1700s under the aegis of the then Maduwanwela clan, the Walawwa lies upon part of the 82,000 acre estate donated by two Sinhalese kings. The Panamure estate (nindagama) consisted of 54,000 acres and was gifted to Maduwanwela’s great grandfather by Kings Raja Singhe II for having brought him the head of a General who was under the Portuguese service.
He was said to have been shot across the swirls of the his after-dinner cigar smoke. The Maduwanwela nindagama consisted of 24,000 acres and was a gift from Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, the last king of Kandy in return for having presented him with a white Sambhur that had long eluded him.
As legend has it, the site upon which to build the Walawwa itself came about after a strange and unique event. An ancestor of Maduwanwela used to watch for game and one day, he watched amazed, as a hair and a jackal crossed paths and the hare gave chase to the jackal. The story of the hare’s unusual courage greatly influenced him, who considered it a victory ground (jaya bhumiya) and the ideal site for his mansion.
The Maduwanwela Wallauwwa during its heyday had 121 rooms and 21 inner gardens (mada midulas). Today, there are 40 rooms remaining and seven accompanying inner gardens. The building has been recognized as a historical and archaeological site by the government and its preservation has now fallen to the Archaeology Department.
Who is Maduwanwela Disawe?
Wickramasinghe Wijesundara Ekanayake Abeykoon Mudiyanse Ralahamilage Sir James Williams Maduwanwela (known as Maduwanwela Maha Disawe ) (1844 - 1930) was a Ceylonese colonial-era headmen. He was appointed to the post of Dissawa by the British Government of Ceylon.
How to Reach?
You can choose easy way to reach Maduwanwela Walawwa. Distance from Colombo to Maduwanwela Walawwa is 244km.
How much Maduwanwela Walawwa Ticket price?
If mention Maduwanwela Walawwa a very low fee is charged. You can visit here and get more knowledge about history reasonable price.
What You Can Do Here?
If you visit in Maduwanwela Walawwa, there are lots of things to do for your enjoying around Maduwanwela Walawwa. You can sightseeing, visit galdola ella & sinharaja forest reserve , take photos and many more.
Here is a long list of major things to do in Maduwanwela Walawwa. Which the first time travelers can visit and experience.
Watch Maduwanwela Walawwa Architecture
One of the most remarkable and awe inspiring facets in the interior of the Walawwa are the paved floors which have been laid out in a mosaic style with chipped tiles bought over from the Netherlands. The colourful and intricate detailing in the mosaic leaves an impressive, lasting impression on any visitor. The tiles were slain in the year 1905 but are still in excellent condition.
The colourful and hypnotic patterns are occasionally broken by images of Queen Victoria and other such quirky colonial images as the sterling pound sign appearing on the tiles. This was just one of the ways in which the Disawe rebelled against his colonial masters. A staunch anti-colonialist throughout his life, the Disawe probably inserted the images of the colonial administrators within the tiles so that all visitors would walk over them – the ultimate insult to the foreign administrators.
The staircase and doorways are all constructed using tamarind, jack and satinwood. Unique architectural features, specialized rooms for storage, rest and recreation and the indoor gardens which bring nature into the home make the Maduwanwela Walawwa a fascinating place to visit.
Many of the archways into the grounds are unusually low and this was apparently done so that visitors on horseback would have to dismount before entering. This also ensured that anyone entering the grounds, especially the taller-than-average foreigner, would be symbolically ‘bowing’ as they entered.
Visit Galdola Ella
The Galdola Ella fall originates from a tributary of the Rakwana River, which flows down the eastern slope of Suriyakanda Mountain, in the Sinharaja forest reserve. The water courses over rock-strewn terrain and at times the flow is submerged by rocky outcrops. This profusion of rocks gives the fall its name (‘Dola’ means rock pool).
Galdola Falls is situated at the 82nd mile post near Rakwana, on the Ratnapura – Pelmadulla road. Rakwana rest-house is just 3km away.
Visit Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a forest reserve and a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Take Photos
You can take lots of pictures here. And sightseeing around.
