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Independence Memorial Hall

Sri Lankan national monument

Summary

Sri Lankan national monument

Field	Value
name	Independence Memorial Hall
image	Independence Commemoration Hall.jpg
alternate_names	Independence Commemoration Hall
map_type	Sri Lanka Colombo Greater
map_caption	Location in greater Colombo
location	Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka
owner	Ministry of Cultural Affairs
coordinates
start_date	4 February 1949
completion_date	1953
floor_area	10,000 sqft
architect	Tom Neville Wynne-Jones
other_designers	Shirley D’Alwis

Independence Memorial Hall (also known as Independence Commemoration Hall) is a national monument in Sri Lanka built for the commemoration of the independence of Sri Lanka from British rule, with the restoration of full governing responsibility to a Ceylonese-elected legislature on 4 February 1948. It is located in Independence Square (formerly Torrington Square) in the Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo. It also houses the Independence Memorial Museum.

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 on 4 February 1948.

Located at the head of the monument is the statue of the first prime minister of the country Rt. Hon. Don Stephen Senanayake "The Father of the Nation". Most of the annual National Independence Day celebrations have been held here. Apart from being a monument, it served as the ceremonial assembly hall for the Senate of Ceylon and the House of Representatives of Ceylon until the parliament was moved to the new parliament complex. Currently it is the venue for religious events and annual national day celebrations.

Design

The formal ceremony marking the start of self-rule, with the opening of the first parliament at the special podium at the present Independence Square, Colombo.

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 design of the building is based on the Magul Maduwa (Celebration Hall), the Royal audience hall of the Kingdom of Kandy the last native kingdom of the island, where on 5 March 1815 the Kandyan Convention was signed between the British and the Kandyian Chieftains (Radalas) ending the Kingdom of Kandy.

In popular culture

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.

Events

Independence Celebrations
Oaths ceremony of President Maithripala Sirisena
Funeral of Ven. Madihe Pannaseeha Thero
Funeral of Ven. Gangodawila Soma Thero
Funeral of Ven. Daranagama Kusaladhamma Thero
Funeral of Premasiri Khemadasa
Funeral of President Ranasinghe Premadasa
Funeral of Gamini Dissanayake
Funeral of Lakshman Kadirgamar
Funeral of W. D. Amaradeva
Funeral of Vijaya Kumaratunga
Funeral of Lester James Peries
Funeral of Malini Fonseka
Funeral of Latha Walpola

References

"Independence Square". Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
Welikala, Asanga. (2012). "The Sri Lankan Republic at 40: Reflections on Constitutional History, Theory and Practice". Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Pieris, Anoma. (2013). "Architecture and Nationalism in Sri Lanka: The Trouser Under the Cloth". Routledge.
Daswatte, Channa. (2006). "Sri Lanka Style: Tropical Design and Architecture". Periplus Editions Ltd..
"Visit The Independence Memorial Hall In Colombo". TriangleTravel.

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

legislative-buildings-in-sri-lanka buildings-and-structures-in-colombo monuments-and-memorials-in-sri-lanka kingdom-of-kandy government-buildings-in-colombo parks-in-colombo tourist-attractions-in-colombo 1953-establishments-in-ceylon buildings-and-structures-completed-in-1953

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