The legacy of a realm
Often referred to as the Dark Prince of Ceylon, the Maduwanwela
Disawe was a personality that defined an era. His influence with the
colonial administrators of his time were such that they even bestowed on
him the title of Sir James William. His ancestral home, the Maduwanwela
Wallauwwa, is a reflection of the Disawe's personality and an
architectural icon of a bygone era.
The town of Kolonne lies between Embilipitiya and Suriyawewa. It is
an area of tranquil beauty with paddy fields and tall trees that span
out across the plains and provide much needed shade. We visited
Maduwanwela Wallauwwa on a bright, sunny day when the workers in the
paddy field and the bustle of a farmer's market made the village come
alive in vivid colours and tones.
Built in the 1700s under the aegis of the then Maduwanwela clan, the
Wallauwwa 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 Wallauwwa 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 hare 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 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 recognised as a historical and
archaeological site by the government and its preservation has now
fallen to the Archaeology Department.
The department is attempting to keep the remaining structure intact
although the exterior of the building has suffered extensively due to
the force of the elements over the centuries.
One of the most remarkable and awe inspiring facets in the interior
of the Wallauwwa 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 lain 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 this Wallauwwa 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.
A testament to the Disawe's religious fervour is a wide-branched bo-tree
which stands right beside the entrance to the house. Also at the front
of the Wallauwwa is a pirith-mandapaya, a permanent structure for
hosting of religious events and almsgivings.
The floor of this from section is laid out in a tile mosaic and the
top end has an inscription of "good luck, 1905" alongside a shoe horse
design. The rich latticework and the imaginative floor designs are a
beautiful blend of western and local architecture.
On the surface of the tiling are to be found blank empty crevices
where gold coins and precious gems were once embedded.
Beside the main Wallauwwa complex is the courthouse where the Disawe
tended to matters of state. Inside the structure, on the rear wall is a
fading motto of the then British administration. Beside the motto is
found small room which served as a holding cell. It's said that the
Disawe would on a day-to-day basis deal with issues regarding land,
livestock and even issues of matrimony, acting as both the judge and the
jury.
Another fascinating feature of this estate are the extensive gardens.
Three separate boundary walls segment the garden. In the middle lies a
fountain. Most probably a majestic sight in its day, today the fountain
lies broken and empty.
The Maduwanwela Wallauwwa has been home to six generations of the
Maduwanwela realm. The current layout of the house dates back to the
time of the last in the line of Maduwanwelas. Born in September 1844
Wickramasinghe Wijesundara Ekanayake Abayakoon Mudiyanse Ralahamilage
Sir James William Maduwanwela Maha Disawe, was educated at St. Thomas
College, Colombo and then later on returned to the Wallauwwa to serve
his people.
His real name was Molamure, name sake of a highly revered clan
hailing from Ratnapura. He adopted his maternal family name of
Maduwanwela upon inheriting the estate granted to his ancestors. Part of
his inheritance was the role of native chief (rate mahattaya) one of 18
such chiefs in the neighbouring vicinity.
The Disawe was married to Kalawane Kumarihami and bore a daughter and
with her the long line of Maduwanwelas was brought to a close. A grand
portrait of the Black Prince of Sabaragamuwa still stands within a huge
wooden frame made out of Kulumediri and tamarind wood. It adds grandeur
to the Disawe who indeed lived the life of a prince.
Under the supervision of the Archaeological Department, in 1974 the
Wallauwwa was converted into a museum.
Explore SL
|