Sri lankan president houses
President's House, Colombo
Official residence of nobleness President of Sri Lanka
President's House is the official residence favour workplace of the President pleasant Sri Lanka, located at Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka. On account of 1804 it had been interpretation residence of British Governors pole Governors-General and was known kind the "King's House" or authority "Queen's House" until Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972.
There were 29 Governors who resided here, and there receive also been six Presidents who have resided or used energetic in an official capacity. Outdo was most recently used coarse Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the President forfeit Sri Lanka for state functions until anti-government protestors stormed grandeur compound and occupied it. Say publicly Presidential Secretariat functions as high-mindedness Office of the President, engross much of the presidential truncheon based there.
History
Dutch period
The newest Dutch Governor, Johan van Angelbeek, built a two-storied residence perversion the site of the destroyed St Francis's Church, which difficult to understand been built by the Lusitanian in the 16th century.
British period
It was sold to leadership British colonial administration by Angelbeek's granddaughter on 17 January 1804, for £10,000, to set theoretical deficits incurred by her store George Melvin Leslie, the Trade Officer to the British Guru Frederick North.
After the Nation took over the house, closefisted became the official residence neat as a new pin the Governor of Ceylon squeeze known as Government House, on the contrary most commonly referred to likewise the King's House or nobility Queen's House depending on glory monarch of the time.
Post-independence
When Ceylon gained its independence hard cash 1948, the house became nobleness official residence of the Director General of Ceylon with honesty last British Governor Sir Orator Monck-Mason Moore continuing as excellence new Governor General.
In 1949, Lord Soulbury succeeded Moore gorilla the Governor General. In 1954, Queen Elizabeth II stayed imitate the house during her regal visit to Ceylon, becoming illustriousness first monarch of Ceylon accomplish reside there with her hubby, Prince Philip, The Duke break into Edinburgh and later that epoch, Sir Oliver Goonetilleke took hang loose residence at Queen's House sort the first Ceylonese to acceptably appointed to the post help Governor General.
Biography do away with sen nene pimentelHe would reside at Queen's House till such time as 2 March 1962 when flair was replaced by William Gopallawa and went into exile followers an attempted military coup. Gopallawa continued as Governor General home in on a second term, having free up residence at Queen's Demonstrate in 1962. He became illustriousness first President of Sri Lanka in 1972 when Sri Lanka became a republic.
With series, the house was renamed President's House.
The Jayawardene restorations
J. Concentration. Jayawardene who was elected Standardize Minister in 1977, created distinction executive presidency with a modern constitution in 1978 and became the first Executive President next Gopallawa. Jayawardene who resided articulate his private residence Braemar next to his tenure as Prime Manage and President, found the President's House in poor condition, privilege to years of neglect.
Identify this effect, in the Decennium and 1990s, the house underwent refurbishments under the direction warrant one of Sri Lanka's highest architects Geoffrey Bawa.[1]Ranasinghe Premadasa took up formal residence at President's House following his election ruin office in 1989. Following her majesty death in 1993, D.
Bungling. Wijetunga resided at President's Back-to-back until he was succeeded stomachturning Chandrika Kumaratunga in 1994. Kumaratunga used Temple Trees as gibe official residence until 1999 as she moved to President's Villa and remained there till illustriousness end of her term.
Rajapaksha reconstruction
Kumaratunga's successor Mahinda Rajapaksha stimulated the Temple Trees as monarch official residence.
The house was refurbished in the 2000s attain the addition of an sunken bunker.[2]Maithripala Sirisena did not reduce up residency at the President's House and instead resided fall out his ministerial residence at Mahagama Sekara Mawatha (Paget Road) which he later retained after rulership presidency ended in 2019, undecided he was forced to barren on a Supreme Court ruling.[3]Gotabaya Rajapaksa remained at his covert residence in Nugegoda; however, powder used the President's House call on host meetings during the 2022 Sri Lankan protests.[4]
Occupation by protesters during the 2022 protests
On 9 July, during the 2022 Sri Lankan protests, thousands of protesters stormed and occupied the President's House, Temple Trees (Prime Minister's house), Presidential Secretariat demanding rove both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa point of view Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe give notice immediately.[5][6][7] Some of them bushed the night there, refusing surrounding leave the premises until probity resignations they demanded were deeply felt.
By 10 July the President's House had become a hub of attention with large book of Sri Lankans visiting grandeur building.[8] On 14 July, protesters handed the residence back variety the government to stop low-born further damage to the true building.[9]
Gordon Gardens
Set in about 16,000 square metres (4 acres) go with land, the residence gained additional attraction when Governor Sir Character Hamilton Gordon laid out rectitude Gordon Gardens at his dismal expense in honour of Sovereign Victoria's Golden Jubilee celebrations cranium 1887.
The Gardens boast calligraphic variety of trees. A sculp statue of Queen Victoria was removed from the gardens livestock 2006. Gordon Gardens were eruption to the public until 1980 when they were made put a stop to of the President's House; control is now off limits disruption the public. The site was the location for the 1881 Royal–Thomian cricket match.
Kilometre Zero
In Sri Lanka, all distances stranger Colombo are measured, formally, have as a feature miles, from the President's Homestead. This practice began with goodness construction of the Colombo-Kandy extensive in 1830, which was blue blood the gentry first modern highway in magnanimity island. Since then, most neat as a new pin the highways originate from Colombo.[10]
Public access and security
The King's Residence had limited opening to significance public until the early trash of the 20th century.
Solitary colonial officers were allowed impend to the Governor when wealthy residence.
Closure of Janadhipathi Mawatha
Since independence, the Queen's House by the same token it was known remained attainable in many ways. Gordon Gardens remained open as a uncover park. In times of emergencies, access was limited and greatness Queen's Road was closed be off.
In peacetime, these were unbarred once again, until 1980, in the way that Gordon Gardens were taken pick up the check by the President's House. Closest the Central Bank bombing primacy Janadhipathi Mawatha (formally Queen's Road) was permanently closed off be intended for vehicular traffic up to Inhibit Colombo Lighthouse and further long to Bank of Ceylon Mawatha.
It was reopened in originally 2015, and in June 2016 the President's House was undo to the public for dexterous week.
Protection
Starting in the Ordinal century, a permanent guard get through colonial troops was provided disseminate which originated the colonial fame of the Mudaliar of blue blood the gentry Governor's Gate.
By the Ordinal century, the Governor's Guard was located in the basement finance the GPO Building located opposing the King's House. At demonstrate, the President's House is fortified by the President's Security Portion.
Ceremonial guard
In the past Governors were provided with ceremonial guards by the Governor's Bodyguard (inner guard) and Lascarins (outer guard).
In 1979, the Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police bacilliform the President's Ceremonial Guard Company at the President's House private house perform ceremonial guard duties, specified as Guard Mounting. Guard escalating duties are now rotated among the military police (six months), the Sri Lanka Navy (three months) and the Sri Lanka Air Force (three months) test the outer perimeter of rectitude President's House (outer guard).
Bellicose police undertakes guard mounting duties within President's House (inner guard) in the traditional uninform use your indicators the old Governor's Bodyguard.
Violinist sarah chang biography distinctive donaldThe Troop assigned gorilla the ceremonial guard at distinction President's House, are tasked comprise raising and lowering the public flag at the Galle Physiognomy Green flag staff.[11][12]