The monument was built at the location where the formal ceremony marking the start of self-rule, with the opening of the first parliament by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester occurred at a special podium February 4, 1948.
The building was designed by a group of eight notable architects led by Tom Neville Wynne-Jones CBE, and included F.H. Billimoria, Shirley de Alwis, Oliver Weerasinghe, Homi Billimoria, Justin Samarasekera and M. B. Morina.
The Memorial Hall was featured as a Pit Stop on the 4th season of The Amazing Race Asia, the 1st season of The Amazing Race Australia, and the second season of the Israeli edition of The Amazing Race.
Independence Memorial Hall is a national monument in Sri Lanka built for commemoration of the independence of Sri Lanka from the British rule with the restoration of full governing responsibility to a Ceylonese-elected legislature on February 4, 1948.
Independence Memorial Hall is located in Independence Square in the Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo. It also houses the Independence Memorial Museum.
Independence Memorial Hall Construction started 4 February 1949.
Gangaramaya Temple is one of the most important temples in Colombo, Sri Lanka, being a mix of modern architecture and cultural essence.
The temple’s architecture demonstrates an eclectic mix of Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian, and Chinese architecture.
Gangaramaya Temple was the home for erudite scholars such as Ratmalana Sri Dharmarama Thero, Waskaduwa Sri Subhuti Thero, Weligama Sri Sumangala Thero, Welivitiye Dhammaratna Thero, and Pandit Batuwantudawe.
The land bordered on two sides by the Moragoda Ela and the Pettigala Ela was used to build the temple, which was subsequently named the Padawthota Gangaramaya Viharaya.
Gangaramaya Temple was established in 1885 by Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera.
The original structure slowly sank into the water in the 1970s. In 1976, Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa was brought in to redesign and construct the temple, which stands today.
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is a suburb of Colombo Metropolitan Region.
There are 2 Divisional Secretary in the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia area: Dehiwala Divisional Secretariat & Ratmalana Divisional Secretariat.
The Estimated Population of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is 245,974.
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia covers 2109 hectares.
Notable people of Dehiwala- Mount Lavinia: Chandima Gomes, Ranil Abeynaike, Uthum Herat, Devaka Fernando, R. D. Gunaratne, Desmond Fernando, Marvan Atapattu, Arittha R Wikramanayake, Elanga Wikramanayake, Eric Wikramanayake, Gayesha Perera & Vivien Leigh.
Geographic coordinates of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is Latitude: 6°50′24″ N, Longitude: 79°52′16″ E.
Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia lie along the Galle Road artery, which runs along the coast to the south of the country.
The Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia area receives an average annual rainfall between 2000 and 3000 mm mainly during the south-west monsoon and the intermonsoon periods.
Colombo is the commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population.
The biggest and oldest park in Colombo is the Viharamahadevi Park, formerly known as Victoria Park, and features a large Buddha statue.
Colombo Marathon is an internationally recognised marathon established in 1998.
Colombo was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago.
In 1796, the British captured Colombo, keeping it as a British military outpost until 1815 when Colombo was named the capital of the newly-created British Ceylon crown colony.
Colombo is divided into 15 numbered areas for the purposes of postal services.
The Vesak festival is Colombo’s most beautiful festival is the celebration of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death all falling on the same day.
The Colombo has many canals and, in the heart of the city, the 65-hectare Beira Lake.
National Museum of Colombo is the largest museum in Sri Lanka.
Colombo is also the administrative capital of the Western Province and the district capital of Colombo District.
Muslim Moor traders began to settle in Colombo in the 8th century AD.
Colonial buildings influenced by the Portuguese, Dutch and British exist alongside structures built in Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Indian and Contemporary architectural styles.
The name ‘Colombo’, first introduced by the Portuguese in 1505, is believed to be derived from the classical Sinhala name කොලොන් තොට Kolon thota, meaning “port on the river Kelani”.
Founded in 1880, The Royal Colombo Golf Club is a sanctuary situated in the heart of Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is the second oldest Royal Golf Club.
Colombo Harbour is the largest and one of the busiest ports in Sri Lanka.
The National Museum of Colombo, established on 1 January 1877 during the tenure of the British Colonial Governor Sir William Henry Gregory, is in the Cinnamon Gardens area.
The estimated Population of Colombo is 752,993.
Colombo features a tropical monsoon climate under the Köppen climate classification, falling just short of a tropical rainforest climate.
Colombo is twinned with: Biratnagar, Nepal; Saint Petersburg, Russia; Shanghai, China; Leeds, United Kingdom; Ulan Bator, Mongolia; Malé, Maldives & Maroshi, Maldives.
Colombo is the home for two of the country’s most popular international cricket stadiums: Colombo Cricket Club Ground & Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.
