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Count de Mauny’s island in the sun
By Sirancee Gunawardana
Weligama is always dear to my heart as it is my father's birthplace. Talvande Count de Mauny owned an island right opposite my father's home. The island was like a jewel in the azure sea and only a narrow strip of sea separated the island from the mainland in the Weligama bay. The waves were white and foamy as they came swishing leisurely on to the sandy beach. We would wade across at low tide, our hearts beating with excitement.

The island in the sea was called Galduwa (Rocky Island) by the local people. But once Count de Mauny bought it, it took on the exotic Greek name "Taprobane". We loved to wade in the water and sit on a boulder overhanging the sea at the edge of the island with our legs dangling in the water.

There were no landmasses in-between and we had an unobstructed view of the vast ocean which stretched to the South Pole. We would then scramble up through the rocky terraces which were neatly laid out and explore the island.

This rocky outcrop is similar to the rocky island near Ahangama which is called Yakinnige duwa an island inhabited by she devils. Where the devils have got to I do not know but it remains silent and forlorn.

The Weligama island too was unoccupied and was full of brambles and foliage. The stout hearted European had no conscience in eyeing one of the beauty spots of Sri Lanka. He set his heart on it as the perfect hideout for a war-weary urban man jaded with life and needing a reprieve.

Count de Mauny was a European aristocrat. He first came to Sri Lanka in 1912 and was the guest of the tea magnate Sir Thomas Lipton. Lipton was the perfect host and took de Mauny to different parts of Sri Lanka. He was captivated by the beauty of the country, the tropical atmosphere, the lush foliage and the fragility of the Weligama fishing village.

Disenchanted with life in Europe, he turned to the sublime peace and quiet of Weligama. He did not get involved with the throbbing, bustling life of the village but kept aloof.

As the island was a mere 50 yards from the shore, he swam across the stretch of sea but for the most part he lived in solitude in his adopted home. He lost no time in gaining ownership of the island and landscaped it to suit his fancy. He built his dream house as an extension of the land and in keeping with its rocky terrain. It was a deep personal tropical response which brought him great happiness. Its architectural concept and design were his very own, an aesthetic response of the soul to the uniqueness of the environs of an Island in the sun.

It was quite unlike a normal house with classical architecture, more like an open pavilion with prefabricated rooms arranged around it with private courtyards.

Octagonal in shape, it had a large conservatory. There was a terrace which Count de Mauny called "Our Lady's Blue Garden" and a loggia overlooking the sea. He didn't have walls between the nine rooms. Some were open to the sky and others sheltered and concealed. Even the toilets were not partitioned. He did away with, as redundant, many of the features of a modern house and it pleased his Bohemian heart.

He planted a formal garden with hedges and foliage plants and created specific paths. Beyond this was a forest created by the Count. It was planted by hand with specific plants to capture the tropical foliage of lush vegetation found in our forests. Stone steps and terraces bordered with exotic trees and shrubs created a fanciful world of tranquillity and he lived here in absolute happiness as it reflected his distinctive personality. It had the stamp of originality harmonizing with the environment.

Though the sea beats upon it during the monsoon period, the high elevation on which the house was built and its steep roofs and deep eaves gave protection. During dry hot weather, it harnessed the cool winds and kept out the harsh rays of the sun. The water that came down the steep roof structure was directed into water fountains and pools.

Count de Mauny built his own furniture with unique designs of inlaid woodwork marquetry which had his signature designs. Talvande Count de Mauny lived on this island home in perfect peace among the things he loved until after World War II when he was forced to return to Europe. He died soon after.

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