A volley of barks and a few lazy glances greeted the echoes of my trudging feet as I entered the Old Town Hall, Colombo, a building of significance and importance which was long abandoned by the authorities and left to the wind, and which has now become the home for many stray dogs and tramps; a valuable piece of history which was long forgotten and ignored by the swirling mass of people in the busy town of Pettah.

Despite the Old Town Hall being a majestic piece of architecture, today this neglected building houses an odd assortment of age-old Municipal Council vehicles, road signs used in the colonial periods, Sri Lanka’s first printing press, what is thought to be the original plaque for the Galle Face Green and other tumble down forgotten pieces of history which hold a mystery and magic of sorts which whisks you to the past.

The construction of the Old Town Hall was executed by Arasi Marikar Wapchie Marikar, a renowned Architect and a Mason of British Ceylon, who was also responsible for the construction of the General Post Office, Colombo Museum, the Galle Face Hotel, Victoria Arcade, the Clock Tower and many other monumental pieces of architecture. The Old Town Hall was built on a contract for 689 Sterling Pounds.

Though so much effort and time was put into the creation of this renowned building, it seems that all this effort was in vain when considering the present situation of the building. The Old Town Hall is a key factor to understanding the history of  Sri Lanka, and if it goes down, a huge chunk of Sri Lankan history and tradition will be destroyed with it.

If the relevant authorities do not take it into their hands to restore its initial grandeur, I fear that this building will become a sorry story of the past.

 

Kids world

BnS Musical Extravaganza