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| Temple Trees | |
|---|---|
අරලිය ගහ මන්දිරය அலரி மாளிகை | |
  Location within Greater Colombo | |
| General information | |
| Address | Galle Road, Colombo 03 |
| Town or city | Colombo |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Coordinates | 6°54′55″N79°50′57″E / 6.915378985189747°N 79.84906077018499°E /6.915378985189747; 79.84906077018499 |
| Current tenants | Harini Amarasuriya |
| Owner | Government of Sri Lanka |
Temple Trees is theofficial residence of thePrime Minister of Sri Lanka. It is located inColombo,Sri Lanka. Several recent Presidents have used it as their official residence as well.
The history ofTemple Trees dates back to the early 19th century. Its ownership passed through several prominentBritish administrators and traders. It was owned between 1830 and 1834 by John Walbeoff of theBritish Civil Service, who headed the Cinnamon Department of Ceylon. Christopher Elliott M.D.the Principal Medical Officer in Ceylon bought the house in 1848. He was also the proprietor and editor of the 'Colombo Observer'. During the Matale Rebellion, it was the focal point for the public campaign against the excesses of Governor Torrington. In 1856 it was sold to John Philip Green who named it"Temple Trees" in 1856 after thetemple trees that grew around thebungalow.[1]
The house was purchased by the British Government of Ceylon and became the residence of theColonial Secretary and thereafter theChief Secretary.
With Ceylon gaining self-rule with the enactment of the new constitution,D. S. Senanayake was appointed the firstPrime Minister of Ceylon on 24 September 1947. Senanayake took up residence atTemple Trees making it the official Prime Ministerial residence.[2] Some Prime Ministers, since then have preferred to stay at their private homes and only useTemple Trees for official functions. Such asS. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, who was assassinated while at his private residence at Rosmead Place, andRanil Wickramasinghe who used hisprivate house in 117, 5th Lane, Colombo 03. Temple Trees has taken centre stage in many episodes of modern Sri Lankan history. During the1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt by senior police and reservist military officers, Temple Trees was the principal target. The armoured cars stationed there were withdrawn to facilitate a swift takeover by troops of theCeylon Artillery. However, the coup was thwarted by thePolice CID and the internal security detail of theRoyal Ceylon Navy took up guard at Temple Trees. The coup leaders were later brought to Temple Trees for questioning and detained there until they wereremanded.
It once again became a refuge forSirima Bandaranaike when she was rushed there on the night of 4 April 1971 after an assassination plot was uncovered, to be carried out at her private residence at Rosmead Place, at the outset of the1971 JVP Insurrection. Many cabinet ministers also took refuge at Temple Trees during the early days of the insurrection. It soon became the primary command center for all military operations against the insurrection. Since the 1970s, Temple Trees has been declared a high-security zone with many roads around the mansion and its grounds closed off due to theSri Lankan Civil War and the2022 Sri Lankan protests.
Temple Trees has been the official residence of allUnited National Party Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka. After 1994,Sri Lanka Freedom Party Presidents used this house as their residence and the Prime Ministers of that party usedVisumpaya. The first Prime Minister from theSri Lanka Podujana Peramuna,Mahinda Rajapaksha has taken up the use of Temple Trees while retaining his former official residence at Wijerama which was allocated to him as a former President.
On 9 July 2022, a large number of protesters demanding the PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa and the Prime MinisterRanil Wickremasinghe to resign, entered and sacked Temple Trees, refusing to leave until their resignations.[3][4] On 14 July protesters peacefully withdrew from the premises.[5]
| Date From | Date To | Resident | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 1952 | D.S. Senanayake | |
| 1952 | 1956 | Dudley Senanayake | |
| 1956 | 1959 | S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike | |
| 1959 | 1960 | Wijeyananda Dahanayake | |
| 1960 | Dudley Senanayake | ||
| 1960 | 1965 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike | |
| 1965 | 1970 | Dudley Senanayake | |
| 1970 | 1977 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike | |
| 1977 | 1978 | J. R. Jayewardene | Lived at his private residence Braemar |
| 1978 | 1989 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | |
| 1989 | 1993 | Dingiri Banda Wijetunga | |
| 1993 | 1994 | Ranil Wickremesinghe | |
| 1994 | 2001 | Chandrika Kumaratunga | Lived there as President, Prime Minister resided at her private residence of Horagolla Walauwa |
| 2001 | 2004 | Ranil Wickremesinghe | |
| 2004 | 2015 | Mahinda Rajapaksa | Lived there as President, Prime Minister usedVisumpaya |
| 2015 | 2019 | Ranil Wickremasinghe | |
| 2019 | 2022 | Mahinda Rajapaksa | |
| 2022 | 2022 | Ranil Wickremasinghe | |
| 2022 | 2023 | Dinesh Gunawardena | |
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