Written on November 20, 2010 at 7:55 PM by Lasith

Viharamahadevi Park & Independence Square

Filed under Parks, Mountains & Scenic trails {no comments}

Location: Colombo, Western Province
Date of visit: 8th November 2010

Day four in Colombo, I explored two of my favorite public spaces within the city — The Viharamadevi Park and Independence Hall.

Viharamahadevi Park

Located in Cinnamon Gardens (Colombo 7) at the intersection of Dharmapala Mawatha and FR Senanayaka Mawatha, Viharamahadevi is the largest park within the city and a short walk from the National Museum as well as the white domed Town Hall building. The park is a wonderful getaway from the busy city and gets you closer to nature with its beautiful flowering trees, known to bloom in March, April and early May.

While there, I also recommend some art shopping along Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha that borders the southern end of the park. On a Sunday, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha is dotted with student artists selling their work and you can generally find semi-professional acrylic artwork for about LKR 3000 – 8000.

The Legend of Princess Viharamahadevi

Originally built during the British Colonial Era, the park was initially named Queen Victoria Park but renamed in the 1950′s after one of Sri Lanka’s legendary heroines, Viharamahadevi. Princess Viharamahadevi was the daughter of King Kelanitissa who ruled Kelaniya. Legend has it that the King once wrongly punished a monk by boiling him alive in oil, thus angering the gods who immediately rushed in and flooded his lands. Soothsayers advised the King that the gods would only be appeased if a princess was sacrificed.

The Princess therefore sacrificed herself for the sins of her father and the greater good of her country and cast herself into sea aboard small boat. It is said that as soon as she set off the seas suddenly turned calm and the water receded. The boat eventually cast ashore about 10 km south of the island in what was called Rohana (now called Ruhuna) where she was rescued by King Kavantissa who married her for bravery. Queen Viharamahadevi later gave birth to another famed Sri Lankan hero, King Dutugamunu who ruled Sri Lanka between 161 – 137 BC.

Independence Square

A fifteen minute walk from Viharamahadevi park is Independence Square. To get there, go east on Horton Place (eastern end of Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha), then make a right on Maitland Circle and finally a left on Independence Ave which will lead you to Independence Square. The centerpiece of the square is Independence Memorial Hall which, as the name suggests, is a monument to the country’s independence from British rule.

It was at this location that the country began self-rule on February 4, 1948 with a formal ceremony by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, marking the commencement of its first parliament. The hall however was constructed quite some time after independence and designed according to a traditional Kandyan audience hall in ancient Sri Lankan architectural styling. Welcoming you up front is a statue of Don Stephen Senanayake, “The Father of the Nation” and first Prime minister of Sri Lanka.

Today the square is a popular amongst joggers and walkers and the monument is host to the country’s annual national day celebrations.

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