Sirimalwatta: Temple Art and Ambalama

In Sirimalwatta, two cultural landmarks lie close to each other: the old Ambalama beside the village road and the Buddhist Sirimalwatta Raja Maha Viharaya. The Ambalama’s history as a rest stop takes centre stage; at the temple, the image house, Buddha statues and architectural history draw attention to religious art and architecture. Choosing a holiday rental based on your travel interests may make this cultural focus a reason to consider Sirimalwatta.

The Ambalama: Rest Stop, Monument and Architectural History

The Sirimalwatta Ambalama is an old rest stop beside the road in the village of Sirimalwatta and an archaeological protected monument. It was designated on 24 March 2016. This date is part of the monument’s history and should be distinguished from the older accounts of the building’s origins. Here, a precisely dated protected status meets a building history with several different time periods.

According to tradition, a regional chief had the Ambalama built during the Kandyan period, under King Sri Vikrama Rajasingha. A reconstruction is reported to have taken place around 1936. Thus, an attributed original construction and a later reconstruction stand side by side. Together with its designation in 2016, these provide three distinct points of reference in time, each telling us something different about the Ambalama.

Several Kandyan-period decorations are carved into the surviving wooden pillars. At the same time, renovations have obscured some older features. The carved pillars and the changes made through later work are therefore both part of the building’s history. The Ambalama cannot be understood solely through its attributed origins: the documented changes and surviving wooden details also shape the picture of this old rest stop.

Temple and Image House

The Buddhist Sirimalwatta Raja Maha Viharaya is located near the Sirimalwatta Ambalama. Its image house contains three seated Buddha statues and twenty-one standing ones. Their different poses and the specific number of statues give the image house a clearly defined subject for travellers interested in Buddhist visual art. The temple and the Ambalama offer different cultural points of interest within Sirimalwatta.

The image house is also architecturally interesting: it displays features of both Kandyan and Dutch architecture. Both influences are part of the building’s description, so it cannot be reduced to just one of these styles. For those interested in architecture, it offers a specific example of an image house whose design combines two distinct influences.

The temple’s history also includes a tradition reaching far back into the past. According to this account, the Sirimalwatta Raja Maha Viharaya was founded during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa (247–207 BC) and later developed further under King Vimaladharmasuriya II (1687–1707 AD). This account of its founding is presented as a tradition. It connects the temple with two reigns far apart in time and thus adds a distinct historical dimension to the architectural features.

Cultural Interests and Choosing a Location

Sirimalwatta may be worth considering as a holiday rental location if historic buildings, Buddhist visual art and architectural history are among your travel interests. The proximity of the temple and the Ambalama brings together two distinct cultural points of interest: the Ambalama centres on the history of the rest stop, its protected status and its wooden details, while the temple centres on the image house, statues, stylistic influences and tradition. These topics give you a specific basis for deciding whether Sirimalwatta suits your travel interests.

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