Galle Face Green
View(s):Sri Lanka celebrates her 70th Anniversary of Independence on February 4, 2018 with a parade of the Armed Forces as well as a cultural display on Galle Face Green. Located in the heart of Colombo, the business capital of Sri Lanka, the Galle Face Green is a five hectare ocean-side strip which stretches for a half kilometre along the coast. Galle Face Green was initially used for recreational activities including horse racing and golf, as well as cricket, polo, football, tennis and rugby.
Galle Face Colombo, late 1800s
History
The area was originally used by the Dutch to enable their cannons a strategic line of fire against the Portuguese. One version of how the name Galle Face is derived is from the original Dutch name ‘Gal Gate’, the gateway to Colombo Fort, facing southwards to Galle. Another version is that it is a corruption of ‘Gal Bokka’, the original Sinhala name for the rocky shoreline.
The originally planned Galle Face extended over a much larger area than what can be seen today. Records show that it was bounded to the north by Beira Lake and ramparts of Colombo Fort, to the west by the Indian Ocean, and to the south by the Galle Face Hotel (established in 1864), although the original building was a Dutch villa, and to the east by St. Peter’s Church.
Galle Face races
Horse racing
Horse races were held at Galle Face Green, the first recorded meet being in 1821. The area became known as the Colpetty Race Course. A circular pavilion with wooden framework and a cadjan thatched roof was erected to view the races. As times passed a more spacious, improved building known as the Race Bungalow replaced the original pavilion. In 1871, this became the venue for the Colombo Club.
This building still stands today and is now the Crystal Ballroom of the Taj Hotel.
The promenade of one mile, along the ocean-side of Galle Face Green was planned and construction completed by the then British Governor Sir Henry Ward in 1859, for ladies and children to walk and enjoy the fresh sea air.
Galle Face Church
Golf
In 1879, golf was introduced to Ceylon and played on the Galle Face Green. The Colombo Golf Club was inaugurated without a club house or a proper golf course. The first Annual General Meeting of the Club was held on March 13, 1880 at the Colombo Club.
Galle Face Hotel 1890s
Cricket
The first Royal Thomian cricket match between Royal College, Colombo (at that time Colombo Academy) and S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, was played from July 15 – 17, 1879 on part of the Galle Face Green, which is now the site of Taj Samudra Hotel. It is said that the two teams had to row across the Beira Lake in boats to reach the Galle Face Grounds. Colombo Academy won the inaugural encounter by 56 runs.
Panoramic view of Galle Face Green in the late 1800s
Rugby
The first official rugby match in Ceylon was also played at Galle Face Green on June 30, 1879 between the newly formed Colombo Football Club and the Rest of the World team.
Today
Today, the Galle Face Green is a strip of land located between the Galle Road and the ocean. It is considered the largest open space in Colombo and one of the highlights of the city. It is a popular destination for families to gather to walk, play, fly kites, paddle in the sea or just relax, watching the sunset over the Indian Ocean. Food vendors offering a variety of food and snacks enjoy a profitable trade.
Two large hotels border the promenade; The Kingsbury Hotel (formerly Ceylon Inter-continental) at one end and on the other the Galle Face Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in Sri Lanka, with its old-world charm including antique furniture, carved doors, balconies and high ceilings. Taj Samudra Hotel is also located across the Galle Road.
Being the largest open space in the city, Galle Face Green is often used as a venue for political meetings, rallies, musical shows, carnivals and other large gatherings. Special events such as religious ceremonies during the visits of Pope John Paul II and more recently, Pope Francis were celebrated on the Green to accommodate the large crowds that thronged to Colombo.
Galle Face Green has also been the venue for many an Independence Day Parade on February 4th , as it is this year also when Sri Lanka celebrates its 70th Independence Day. – Wikipedia & Lankapura