During the Dutch era, there were rarely houses in Colombo’s Cinnamon Gardens, currently known as Colombo 7, which was covered with forests.
The Dutch records reveal that the rich people of the city lived around Kotahena at that time.
In the late 1700, a Dutch governor showed interest in cultivating cinnamon in Colombo, and the cinnamon plantation had grown to 232 acres in a short time.
It is said that the cinnamon cultivation had spread around the present day Colombo 7 as well as the Independence Square area, Borella, Maradana and Union Place.The name ‘Cinnamon Gardens’ was used to refer to the area, but the cinnamon cultivation had been abandoned by the 1850s during British rule.
The lands in the area, which were overgrown with forests, were gradually cleared and the construction of houses for the rich began by this time. Several historical records state that Cinnamon Gardens had become an area where there were the residents of lucrative families by the early 1860s.
Several places of significant importance are within the vicinity of Cinnamon Gardens, but the stories behind them are only known to a handful of history-lovers.
Among such places are the Cinnamon Gardens Post Office, the Dawatagaha Mosque, the Victoria Memorial Eye Hospital Building, the Monument at the Lipton Circus Roundabout, and Rosmead House.
The two-storied red building with Victorian architectural features is still used as the Post Office in Colombo 7. A magnificent portico can be seen in the building. Each window has decorative moldings in stucco.
The ceiling inside also takes an old form. The historical documents state that this building was originally built for the Colombo Telecommunication Office.
It became the Cinnamon Gardens Post Office in 1908. This building, which was dilapidated, has been repaired by the postal department in the recent past. Located next to the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) building is the Dawatagaha Mosque which is a historical monument that is considered to be a centre of the Islamic religion.
Abdul Rahman Al Siddiq, who came to Ceylon from Saudi Arabia in the 18th century and supported the religious activities of the Islamic devotees, is considered to have lived where this mosque is located.
A mosque was built in 1890 considering the sacredness of that place. This is considered to be one of the oldest mosques in the country.
This mosque derived its name Davatagaha because of a ‘Dawata’ Tree near the grave where Al Siddiq was buried. The mosque has a beautiful appearance with its domed spires.
An eye-catching building of Indian Mughal architectural style visible near the Lipton Roundabout, Colombo 7, today belongs to the Accident Unit of the National Hospital but this was originally built as an eye hospital. The hospital was built to make up for the lack of an eye hospital in Colombo. It was named Victoria Memorial Eye Hospital in memory of Queen Victoria.
It has also received financial support from local barons such as N.S. Fernando and Charles Peiris. The architect of the building was Edward Skinner.
It was constructed by the Government Works Department. By 1906, the work was completed and the Hospital commenced its operations. It has a design that blends Hindu, Mughal and Victorian architectural features. Its lower floor has a portico, corridor, fence and semi-circular gables. The most beautiful feature of the building is the Mughal-style domed spires at the top. After the new Eye Hospital was built in 1967, this building was used for the purposes of the National Hospital.
The marble monument on Lipton Roundabout, atop a pond with fountains, attracts many visitors to Colombo. This monument was built to commemorate the Englishman named George Wall.
It was he who started the Ceylon Independent newspaper, which criticised the British Government and supported Ceylonese independence.
He has also worked to abolish the paddy tax which has oppressed the farmers. He also served as a member of the State Council for some time. He later fell into poverty and he was unable to afford his daily expenses. Later he decided to return to England. Following his death in 1894, his friends built this magnificent monument to remember George Wall. The monument, made of colourful ceramic bricks, is reminiscent of the Indian Mughal style. It has a domed peak on top, and stands on eight pillars.
After walking a short distance on the road leading to Ward Place near the National Hospital, one will find Wijerama Mawatha on the right.
‘Tintagel’
The house named ‘Tintagel’ where the Bandaranaikes played a significant role in the country’s politics is a short distance down Wijerama Mawatha, near the “Rosmead Place” nameboard. Tintagel is still famous as the house where slain S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike who became the fourth Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 1956, and his family members lived.
Built in the late 1920s, this two-storied house with English architectural features was owned by Dr. Lucian de Silva.
During the Second World War, the owner was ordered by the British Government to hand over the house within two weeks for the use of the army.
The house, which was a shelter for soldiers, was later dilapidated. Meanwhile, Bandaranaike, who married Sirimavo Bandaranaike, lived in a rented house in Colombo after marriage.
Saddened that his son was living in a rented house, Bandaranaike’s father, Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike decided to buy a suitable house in Colombo for the new couple to live in.
He gets to know about Tintagel, and purchases it from Dr. de Silva in the late 1940s for Rs.160,000. It was in this house that Bandaranaike was shot dead on September 25, 1959.
