Maduwanwela Walawwa, Colonial mansion in Kolonne, Sri Lanka.
Maduwanwela Walawwa is a colonial mansion in Kolonne, Sri Lanka, comprising 47 preserved rooms, multiple inner courtyards, and traditional architectural features crafted from tamarind, jack, and satinwood. The structure displays a blend of local building styles and colonial influences visible in the arrangement of chambers and open spaces.
The mansion was built in the 1700s by Maduwanwela Maha Mohottala and expanded to over a hundred rooms by 1905 under Maduwanwela Maha Disawe's direction. This growth reflected the family's increasing power in local administration during that era.
The courthouse within the mansion served as a hub for local judicial decisions and accommodated roughly a hundred people. Visitors can observe furniture and implements that reveal how justice operated under local administration.
The mansion lies between Embilipitiya and Suriyakanda in a region of quiet countryside displaying typical rural Sri Lankan scenery. Sturdy footwear is wise as there are numerous rooms and courtyards to navigate, with uneven walking surfaces throughout.
The interior flooring of the mansion contains mosaic tiles imported from the Netherlands in 1905 with subtle patterns carrying hidden messages against colonial rule. These artful floors were a quiet form of resistance and identity expressed amid foreign occupation.
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