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41-491: The hotel was originally built by four British entrepreneurs in 1864. Its name derives from the stretch of lawn which it faces, known as the Galle Face Green . It began as a Dutch villa called Galle Face House. Land for the hotel's expansion was purchased between 1870 and 1894. In 1894, architect Edward Skinner completed the design of the hotel's current south wing, and the property has remained largely unchanged until

82-594: A half miles long. The area became known as the Colpetty Race Course , and was used for horse races until 1893 when horse racing moved to the Colombo Racecourse . The Turf and Sporting Club was also founded in the early 1820s, with the first officially recorded horse racing meet held on the Green in the 1821. In order to view the races a pavilion was erected at the highest point of the green, it

123-559: A much larger area than exists today. Records indicate that it was bounded to the north by Beira Lake , the ramparts of Colombo Fort and the city's cemetery (established in 1803), to the west by the Indian Ocean , whilst to the south by the Galle Face Hotel (established in 1864, although the original building on the site was a Dutch villa) and to the east by St. Peter's Church (consecrated in 1821). The Galle Face Green

164-473: A museum and art gallery in its Regency Wing, which houses the first car that Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh owned, and several pieces of memorabilia from the hotel's history, including a gallery of famous guests. There is also an adjacent Library with two study rooms. The hotel has a small pool with sea water, that is situated very close to the Indian Ocean. There is a black and white square known as

205-596: A pub. They are the 1864: Limited Edition fine dining restaurant (dinner only), King of the Mambo, a Cuban themed restaurant; Firebeach - a lounge bar and restaurant with a wood fired oven; a buffet restaurant known as The Verandah, Travellers' Bar, the Pool Bar, Chequerboard, and an English pub called "In.. On the Green". The open Verandah restaurant is the venue for the Afternoon Tea on the terrace. The hotel features

246-634: A sufficient level of oxygen. But it would be more stressful during dry season. Salinity is very stable (around 0.12 g/L (4.3 × 10  lb/cu in)) over time and along the water column. The Beira Lake plays a major role in the Western Region Megapolis Project . Under the project the Beira lake is expected to be cleaned and developed with Singaporean assistance and private sector involvement. Waterways will be cleared by blocking illegal water outlets and sewerage lines into

287-568: Is a man-made lake in the centre of the city of Colombo in Sri Lanka . The lake is surrounded by many large businesses in the city. It initially occupied approximately 1.65 km (0.64 sq mi) of land 100 years ago but has since been reduced to 0.65 km (0.25 sq mi) today due to various reasons. During the colonial era of the Portuguese , Dutch and the English ,

328-653: Is also used as the site for Sri Lanka's national day celebration held annually on 4 February. Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation , the oldest radio station in South Asia , has recorded many programs here from their outside broadcast input in the 1950s and 1960s. The Galle Face Green was administered and maintained by the Urban Development Authority of Sri Lanka until 2014 when

369-421: Is housed in the nearby "Lake House" building. The lake with many government owned properties has been earmarked for development including a casino district on its McCullum road water front. The lake is home to species of storks, pelicans, monitor lizards and various species of fish. The lake gets its famous green colour and unusually bad odour due to the result of pollution over hundreds of years and algae that

410-576: Is present in the water. The bad smell is mostly prominent during dry weather, due to the high rates of evaporation and it fades off with the arrival of the rainy season. Water of Beira Lake is polluted, from which it gets a bad odour and green colour. But contrary to the canal system of Colombo, the lake contains water with a very alkaline pH value got by primary production and continuous bloom. In August it gets its maximum value, but becomes more neutral from top to bottom, pH value decreasing from 10 to 8. The lake water never gets an acidic pH. Conductivity of

451-565: Is that it got from ' De Beer ', which in Portuguese meant the ' Anchoring Poin t'. It may have also been named after the Portuguese province of the same name. The lake was built by the Portuguese to provide protection to Colombo from enemies, mainly local kings . By 1518, the Portuguese ruled over Colombo, but the increasing threats against Portuguese rule by King Vijayabahu VII and Sinhalese forces made them look for better solutions other than their modern weaponry. One of such early ideas

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492-472: Is that it got its name from a Portuguese engineer named ' Beira ' who worked in constructing the lake or from a Dutch engineer named ' De Beer '. The idea of De Beer is supported by a granite plaque which was recovered from the sluice of the lake, inscribed " De Beer 1700 ". Another theory is that it was named from the word ' Beira ', which in Portuguese meant the ' Bank or Edge of the Lake '. Another idea

533-780: Is today the site of the Taj Samudra Hotel. It was 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. The Galle Face Green is currently a 5 hectare ribbon strip of land between Galle Road and the Indian Ocean , being the largest open space in Colombo. This is a popular destination for children, vendors, teenagers, lovers, kite flyers , merrymakers and all those who want to indulge in their favorite pastimes next to

574-850: The 2019–present Sri Lankan economic crisis . They occupied the Galle Face Green on 9 April 2022 and set up the protest camp. The camp had all the basic requirements including food, water, toilets, medical facilities and included a lending library. During the Black Monday attacks on protestors, the temporary protest camps in Galle Face Green was attacked by Pro-Rajapaksa partisans of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna , at least 8 protesters died and 100 protesters were injured. Beira Lake Beira Lake (/ˈbeɪrə/; Sinhala : බේරේ වැව , romanized:  Bērē væva ( IPA: [beːreː ˈʋæʋə] ); Tamil : பேரே ஏரி , romanized:  Pērē ēri ( IPA: [peːɾeː eːɾi] ))

615-590: The British took control they removed the crocodiles and developed the area surrounding the lake for recreational activities such as rowing and yachting . The area around the lake was popular for parties including a grand ball that was held to celebrate the news of British victory in Waterloo . Ceylon's first botanical garden the Kew Gardens was opened on Slave Island in 1810 to cultivate seedlings provided by

656-652: The Colombo Golf Club without a clubhouse or a proper golf course. The club had its first Annual General Meeting on 13 March 1880 at the Colombo Club . in 1896 Galle Face was becoming more and more crowded and the golf club faced with having to share the ground with numerous other sports and the general public moved to its present location in Borella . On 30 June 1879 the first official rugby match in Ceylon

697-610: The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London to be planted in Peradeniya Botanical Gardens . By the 19th century land reclamation for development began and the land area of the lake was reduced, pollution also began to increase. Four main basins can be identified in the lake: The only canal the lake connected to is St. Bastian Canal from its northeast end. From the northwest, it outflows to

738-531: The crocodile infested lake by cutting off several canals but failed to defeat the Portuguese as they brought reinforcements from India through sea. After the Dutch laid siege and captured the lake it was expanded by reducing the fort by 1/3 of the previous and created several islands such as the Slave Island : some of them were large enough to have a village and a plantation of 600 coconut trees. After

779-588: The Chequerboard, close to the King of the Mambo Restaurant. This is often used by guests to watch the sunset. 6°55′12″N 79°50′46″E  /  6.9200°N 79.8462°E  / 6.9200; 79.8462 Galle Face Green Galle Face Green is a 5 ha (12 acres) ocean-side urban park , which stretches for 500 m (1,600 ft) along the coast, in the heart of Colombo ,

820-620: The City of Colombo is having a complete length of 10 1 ⁄ 2 miles. It which had the Mount of Lawrence was surrounded by a lagoon. In some places at summer time it was deep only to the waist, and was a lake which gave access to City of Colombo" In 1578, Mayadunne of the Kingdom of Sitawaka attempted to cut off supplies to the invaders but failed to drain the lake. His son Rajasingha I (a.k.a. Sithawaka Rajasinghe) succeeded in 1587 in draining

861-481: The Galle Face Green, for ladies and children to saunter and ‘take in the air’. The promenade was subsequently completed in 1859. Horse racing began in Galle Face in the early 1820s, during the time of the then British Governor Sir Edward Barnes (1776–1838). The esplanade in front of the fort, previously a marshy area, was filled with earth and levelled for the purpose. The race course was approximately one and

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902-439: The Indian Ocean via Mc. Callum Gates and via a semicircular spillway to the west (commonly known as "බේරේ බේසම" translit. Bērē bēsama = Beira Basin). Lined with many large warehouses, reminiscent of its past when tea used to be transported to the port of Colombo on barges via the port access canal, the lake now is very quiet with many of the warehouses having been abandoned. With maximum length of 1.6 km (1 mi)

943-613: The broadcasts, particularly 'New Year's Eve' dances from the Galle Face Hotel. D. G. William (known as 'Galle Face William'), the Lanka Sama Samaja Party trade union leader, first worked and organised workers here. The Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke wrote the final chapters of 3001: The Final Odyssey in the hotel. The hotel also employed the world's oldest hospitality industry veteran and doorman, Kottarapattu Chattu ("K.C.") Kuttan . Joining

984-411: The financial and business capital of Sri Lanka. The promenade was initially laid out in 1859 by Governor Sir Henry George Ward, although the original Galle Face Green extended over a much larger area than is seen today. The Galle Face Green was initially used for horse racing and as a golf course, but was also used for cricket, polo, football, tennis, and rugby. Galle Face Green originally extended over

1025-457: The fortification that faced toward Galle. Another version is it is a corruption of the original name for the area's rocky shoreline, Gal Bokka, Gal being the Sinhalese for rock and that Gal Gate actually meant rock gate. In 1856 the then Governor of British Ceylon , Sir Henry George Ward (1797–1860) authorised the construction of a 1 mile (1.6 km) promenade along the oceanside of

1066-444: The hotel as a bell boy cum waiter in 1942, he continued to serve until his death on 18 November 2014. In April 2013, the north wing of the hotel began its refurbishment. In November 2014, It was announced by its new general manager, Antony G. Paton, that it would formally reopen on 1 March 2015. The hotel reopened on 26 October 2015, being formally declared open by the president of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena . Celebrity Guests at

1107-632: The hotel have included, inter alia, the Empress of France Princess Eugenie, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, the Duke of Hamilton, Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Richard Nixon, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Admiral Louis Mountbatten, Emperor Hirohito of Japan (while a Prince), Sir Donald Bradman, and Yuri Gagarin. Authors using the premises while writing their books have included, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mark Twain, Anton Chekhov and Sir Arthur C. Clarke. The Galle Face Hotel has Four restaurants, three bars and

1148-625: The lake has been home to Colombo Rowing Club for over 140 years. The Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre is located on the waterfront, further the People's Bank and the Inland Revenue Department headquarters are located in close to the lake.St. Joseph's college Colombo, the only school in Sri Lanka to have its very own Rowing pier is situated on the banks of the Beira lake. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited

1189-411: The lake was used for a wide variety of purposes. It still retains its Portuguese name. It is connected to many intricate canals which provided an easy way of transporting goods within the city and suburban cities. The derivation of the name is uncertain, yet it was as recent as 1927 that 'Beira Lake' first appeared on maps. Before that, it was called the ' Colombo Lake ' or just ' The Lake '. One theory

1230-659: The mainland and the fort was done using boats. The original area of the lake was 1.61 km (0.62 sq mi). Primary outflows then were the Kayman's Gate to the east and St. John's Canal to the west. It was bordered from Mount of St. Bastian, Mount of Wolvendaal and from Mount of Kochchikade. To the north and west of the lake were the Portuguese forts. The nature of the lake then has been described in Conquista Temporale Espiritual de Ceylão (1687) by Fr. Fernão de Queyroz : "The lake around

1271-640: The management was transferred to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority . Since 2016 the park is being maintained by Sri Lanka Port Management and Consultancy Services, a government-owned entity operated under the Ministry of Ports and Shipping . On 25 December 2016 it hosted the world's tallest artificial Christmas tree . Galle Face Green was converted into a temporary protest camp by Sri Lankan protestors during 2022 Sri Lankan protests who were demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resign due to

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1312-545: The present day, though with many extensive restorations. Mignonne Fernando and The Jetliners regularly entertained guests at the Coconut Grove, the night club attached to the hotel. The venue was even popularised in a song. Radio Ceylon recorded music programmes from the Coconut Grove as well as the Galle Face Hotel itself, presented by some of the popular Radio Ceylon announcers in the 1950s and 1960s, such as Livy Wijemanne and Vernon Corea . Thousands listened to

1353-471: The same trend as temperature in August. Likewise the thermocline, an oxycline appears exclusively in August. Below 1 m (3 ft 3 in) depth, dissolved oxygen is stable at 7 mg/L (2.5 × 10  lb/cu in) during May, June and July. Though it is decreased during August from 13 mg/L (4.7 × 10  lb/cu in) to 6 mg/L (2.2 × 10  lb/cu in), shallow depth allows preserving

1394-585: The sea under the open sky. On Saturday and Sunday evenings, the land is busy with day trippers, picnickers and food vendors selling cooked crabs and prawns , slices of mango with pepper and salt. There are two large hotels that border the strip; the Ceylon Inter-Continental Hotel and at the other by the quaint Galle Face Hotel , one of Sri Lanka's oldest and most popular hotels, with a variety of old world charm including old furniture, hand carved doors, balconies and high ceilings. It

1435-467: The water retains fairly stable between 250 μS/cm and 300 μS/cm, with a slight increase from May to August. Full temperature ranges between 29.3 and 35.4 °C (84.7 and 95.7 °F). Average temperature is 31 °C (88 °F) and August is the warmest month. The temperature decreases rapidly 2 or 3 °C (36 or 37 °F), from the surface to 60–100 cm (24–39 in) in-depth and remains stable after that. Dissolved oxygen generally follows

1476-545: Was built for members. In 1871 the Race Bungalow became the venue for the Colombo Club and since then it was referred to as the Colombo Club building . This building still stands today, with all its colonial grandeur, and is now the Crystal Ballroom of Taj Samudra Hotel. In 1879, a number of British expatriates introduced golf to Ceylon playing on the Galle Face Green. It was there that they inaugurated

1517-404: Was circular in shape, with wooden framework and a thatched cadjan roof. As the years went by, the pavilion building was improved, with wooden walls replaced by bricks and made larger. A more spacious building, known as the ‘Race Bungalow’, was subsequently built on the same spot. In September 1870 a viewing gallery was added, which came to be called the ‘Grand Stand’. Later a two-storey grandstand

1558-521: Was discovered by Portuguese Captain Lopo de Brito , while he was chasing away another invasion led by King Vijayabahu VII . After informing the officials at the fort about this stream, it was connected to the moat they had dug, creating Beira Lake. Then the lake was completely connected with the sea from both sides, separating the Colombo Fort from the mainland. All means of transportation between

1599-534: Was initially laid out by the Dutch as a means to enable their cannons a strategic line of fire against the Portuguese . One version of how the name Galle Face is derived, is that it is from the original Dutch name for the fortifications, in that the gateway which gave access to the Colombo Fort was called the Gal Gate , as it faced southwards to Galle and faas means front, so it literally means in front of

1640-481: Was making a huge moat around the fort. The construction of the moat began by digging the marshy land which was around the fort in all directions other than west (west of the fort was the Indian Ocean). But these works were demotivated by the size of it and the small amount of water in the marsh which was not enough to fill a lake. But a stream which flowed between Mount of Dematagoda and Mount of St. Bastian

1681-502: Was played at Galle Face Green between the newly formed Colombo Football Club and a rest of the world team. Rugby matches were then regularly played in the center of the Colpetty race track, an area shared with the golf club. The first Royal–Thomian cricket match played between Royal College, Colombo (at that time called Colombo Academy) and S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia was played on 15–17 July 1879 at Galle Face Green, which

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