 | |
| Established | 13 May 1988 |
|---|---|
| Location | Colombo Road,Ratnapura,Sri Lanka |
| Coordinates | 6°41′04″N80°23′58″E / 6.6844°N 80.3994°E /6.6844; 80.3994 |
| Type | History |
| Website | Department of National Museums website |
TheNational Museum of Ratnapura is one of the national museums ofSri Lanka. It is located inRatnapura,Sri Lanka and it was opened on 13 May 1988.[1] The museum building is called “Ehelepola Walauwa”, as it once belonged toEhelepola Nilame,[2] acourtier of theKingdom of Kandy, who was the1st Adigar (1811 - 1814) under the reign KingSri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last king of Sri Lanka, for whom he served as theDisawe (local Governor) of Ratnapura.[3]
The museum includes exhibits on prehistoric archaeological inventions, natural heritage,geological,anthropological,zoological artifacts and models relating to theSabaragamuwa Province. Theweaponry on display include Sinhala swords of the late medieval era including a sword alleged to have belonged to Ehelepola, and a collection of old guns including aVickers machine gun used during theFirst World War.[4] The cooking utensils of the region include a tripod pan with three moulds for preparingrice flour cakes known askiri roti. Traditional Kandyan jewellery includes necklaces, bangles, anklets and earrings. The grounds of the museum contain a palaeobiodiversity park, with life-sized animal sculptures of species believed to have existed in the region.[3]
