Galle Four Gravets Divisional Secretariat

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Divisional Secretary
	Name	Mrs. L.N.Piyumali Liyanage
	Qualification	Degree of Economics - 1 st Class, University of Colombo   Master of Economics, University Of Ruhuna
	Work history	- Assistant  Divisional Secretary, Four Gravest ,Matara - Assistant  Divisional Secretary, Weligama - Assistant Divisional Secretary ,Imaduwa - Assistant  Divisional Secretary, Galle Four Gravest  - Divisional Secretary ,Gonapinuwala         - Divisional Secretary - Bope Poddala
Assistant Divisional Secretary	Name	Mr. Lalith Dasanayake
	Qualification	SLAS Class III
	Work history	Assistant Divisional Secretary - DS Habaraduwa
Accountant
	Name	Mrs. H.G.T Dilhani
	Qualification	Sri Lanka Accountant Service (I)
	work History
Assistant Director (Planning)
	Name	Mr. K.A.A. Chamika
	Qualification	Bachelor of Laws - University of Colombo Attorneys - at- Law
	work History	Divisional Secrtariat Lahugala  Divisional Secrtariat Padiyatalawa  Divisional Secrtariat Dehiattakandiya (Acting)
Administrative Officer
	Name	Mrs. Samadaraa Jayaweera
	Qualification	Sri Lanka Management Service - Supra Grade
	work History	Divisional Secretariat, Imaduwa
Administrative Grama Niladhari
	Name	Mrs. Pramila Weerasinghe
	Qualification	Grama NIladari Service-Supra Grade -2017
	work History	Adminitration Grama Niladhari in Divisional Secretariat Baddegama
Additional District Registrar
	Name	Mr. W.G. Kumara
	Qualification
	work History
Additional District Registrar
	Name	Mr. W.C. Rangajeewa
	Qualification	B.Sc. Public Management degree
	work History	Divisional Secretariat Galle Fourgravets Divisional Secretariat Habaraduwa Divisional Secretariat Akmeemana Divisional Secretariat Galle Fougravets

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HISTORY OF GALLE

The City of Galle is the capital city of Southern Province. Legend has it Galle got her name from the large number of bullock carts parked within the city. The place was called "Gaala" which later became Galle.

Galle depicts fantastical Galle fort. Dutch atmosphere is still alive in the Galle fort. Any one who visits Galle fort could feel an old European kingdom which we could read in History books.

Firstly, Portuguese constructed Galle fort. It was a small kingdom consisted with three Guard rooms Portugeese lived in Galle and conducted their trade with the hill country. Later Dutch were able to invade Galle and acquire the Galle Fort. During Dutch invasion they were able to build Galle fort more widely and strongly.

Fort walls were built with Granite stones Height of the walls are about 50-70m. width of the walls are about 50m. Main door of the fort is faced to East and other two doors are faced to North. On East fort is    faced to present Galle town and other sides of the fort is surrounded by the ocean.

Galle fort is larger than the other forts built in Sri Lanka. Extent is 96 Acres. A survey conducted by the Department of Archelogy raveled that there was a marshy land in both sides of the former Galle Town. At present Galle international cricket stadium may be situated in that marshy land. There were many Guard rooms were named as zwart Bastion, Utrect Bastion,Triton Bastion, Neptune Bastion, Utrect Bastion, Ttriton Bastion, Neptune Bastion, Clippen Berg Bastion, Star Bastion and Sun Bastion and Aurora Bastion etc. Soliders guarded the fort during day and night.

First administrator of the fort is Admiral Costal. First Light House of Sri Lanka is situated at Galle fort. It was situated at the area called as flag Rock Bastion. Later on it was destroyed and present light House was built on 1930. Clock tower of the Galle was built on the area where the Moon Bastian guard room was situated.

A Small plan of galle fort draw to a scale is kept at the National Museum Galle Fort. Any one who visits Museum could obtain good knowledge about Galle Museum by examine the plan.

Dutch seized Galle fort from the Portuguese and there after English invaders seized from the Dutch. Even though the English invaders captured the city from the Dutch rulers 150 years later it is never the less the Dutch influence that is heavily felt today.

Any one who enters Galle fort from the North western entrance could see the V.O.C. (Vereenigte Oostindische) emblem in the inner wall of the entrance. This emblem was fixed on 1669. Before entering Galle fort from this entrance the emblem of the English could be seen. This is a very important place where both Dutch and English emlems could be seen in a same place.

In my point of view I think that Dutch V.O.C.emblem was first fixed in the outer wall of the North western entrance of the fort. After the English invasion English invaders may be removed the V.O.C.emblem and fixed their emblem at the outer wall of the entrance  and  fixed Dutch V.O.C. emblem at the inner wall of the fort entrance.

Important buildings remaining in Galle fort are Kachcheri building (Dutch Hospital) Court building, Hotel, Museum and Dutch Cherch etc.

Quiet narrow streets and alleyways in the Galle fort are same as  a square rule page and still hold the charm of old Galle, as they have changed little since colonial time. Leyn Barn streets Light house Street, Peddler Street are the some of roads in Galle fort Buildings were constructed in the either sides of the roads. Even though there were no drains in the either sides of the road, waste materials of the houses mixed with rain water and collected into drains under the roads through the holes in the middle of the roads. Under ground drains run to the sea. Waste materials in the drains washed with the sea water with out any energy. This is a natural way of discarding waste and materials. Court yards and balconies are a special features in Dutch Architecture. Those parts of the houses could be seen in the old Dutch houses constructed in Galle fort. Those features could also be seen in some rich houses in the island. Door frames with arches also a special features in the new constructions take place in Galle fort. At present former dutch country is called as Netherland and their attention and assistance drawn to our country is very much essential. Galle Herritage foundation has taken every possible step to protect and reconstruct Galle fort with out destroying it’s  original features.

Cultural Background

 Galle Town is situated about 116 km away from Colombo in the South Western Portion of Sri Lanka. This town is very nicely described in old “Sandesha Kawya” such as Mayura, Thisara, Paravi and Kokila. Iban Bathutha who traveled in Sri Lanka during D.C. 1325-1335 called Galle town as “Kali”. The first “sellipi” (words carved on a flat stone) found from galle was a trilingual Sellipi. It was written in Chinese, Arabic & Tamil languages. This sellipi was found by Mr. Woodlyn in 1991 which was fixed to a culvert in Cripps Road, Galle. The extent of the Galle town is about 6.5 square miles. In 150 Loronso de Almeda was driven to galle in a storm. He called “Galo” “Galo” by having a sound of a cock Therefore “Galo” became Galle. cock’s mark can be seen in several places such as Galle fortress,   church   , Although in the old sandesha kavya this town was called as Galle. From the period of  Anuradhapura to   Kotte Galle was   a   resting places for these who traveled by Elephants, Horses, Cows and there was much facilities for those animals to rest. The Sinhala name for the resting place of the Cows and Horses is called as “gala”. It has has been suggested that Galle is derived from “galo”.

During the ancient period Galle is  very famous as a port. After Portuguese captured Galle city in 1587 they made a fortress. They made a temporary fortress in 1919 they made it permanently. This fortress is an important place in Galle Town. This fortress is made to safe guard them. Old temples situated in the division of Galle depict the very rich cultural background. There are no any information to prove beginning of the Thuwakkugala Purana Viharaya, Galle and it has been suggested that this temple was built before the Portuguese period. This place was used as a Portuguese’s guard room. There was a  gun shape mark on the rock of this temple is called as thuwakkugala. There was a belief that during the ancient period there was a under ground tunnel between this temple and the Rumassala Hill. Sri Paramananda Viharaya of Minuwangoda is an important place. This temple was built about D.C. 1824. Old “Darma Shalawa” the hall where the priests preach bana, shine room, old dageba of this temple which belongs to Amarapura Sirisaddarma wasa Maha Nikaya, is named as archeologically important places. Old frescos and bronze statute help to prove the history of the temple.

After Sir Hendry Steel Olcott visited  Sri Lanka on 1880, he observed pansil in this temple and first Dama School in Sri Lanka was established in this temple.

Bogahagodella Sri Sudarshana Paramananda Viharaya was started in the period of Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe. It is consisted with frescos and statue of Nuwane era. 18 cubits  laying statute of Buddha and Vishnu Matha statue were build in shine room of this temple. “Pohoyageya” of this temple was created in D.C.1752.

Walukaramaya of Dadella is the Chief place of the Amarapura Nikaya.This temple was build in D.C. 1790 This temple   is   consisted with archeologically important monuments such as  Dagaba, two story building of  the priests was made according to the Mianmar architecture and Amarapura Pohaya seema Malakaya. Dagaba of Kaluwella Sri Wardhanarama Purana Viharaya which was built in 1862 and Bo-tree old more than 200 years and “Awasa Geya” are named as archaeologically important monuments.

Two Hindu Kovils in this Divisional Secretariat are Minachchi Sundeshwar Kovil & Sri Kadireshan Kovil. These Kovils are Situated in Grama Niladhari Division of Kaluwella.

The Sundeshwar kovil make poojas for God Eshwara. In addition to that Thimbirigaha Kovil of Dadalla was once captured by Tamils .At present   this  Kovil       is named as Thimbirigaha Kovil as this Kovil is built around a large Thimbiri tree.

The mosques in the Galle division are also very important. Kachchuwatta Mosque, China Garden Mosque are historically important mosques.

Famous home industries in this division are lace making and handicrafts made by turtle shells. As well as those industries this division is famous for low country devil dance.

First Damma School

 Wijayanandma Damma School-Galle

 Sir Hendry Steel Olcott and Madam Blawatski observed pancil on 19th May 1180 from Akmeemana Darmarama Thero who is the chief priest of the temple and they became Buddhists since then. After that first Damma school in Sri Lanka was established on 3rd August 1895 under the guidance of sir Hendry Steel Olcott and the assistance of the Ahelepola Ginorasa Thero. At the time of beginning this Damma school was conducted with 15 students & 4 teachers. There after that Sunday Damma Schools   were conducted through out the Sri Lanka.

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