Srawasthi Mandiraya
History
The mansion was built in 1913 along the lines of a Tuscan villa by veterinary surgeon and philanthropist W. A. de Silva, member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon and the State Council of Ceylon, and who served as Minister of Health (1936 - 1942). One of the largest houses in Colombo at the time, Dr de Silva hosted many dignitaries such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore and Lord Donoughmore. He later gifted the mansion to the nation.
With Ceylon gaining independence, the house was converted by the Government of Ceylon as a hostel for Member of Parliament who had to travel to Colombo from their constituencies to attend Parliamentary sittings. Following the construction of the Madiwela Housing Complex (consisting of 120 housing units for Members of Parliament), the functions of Srawasthi as a hostel ceased. It was then taken over by the Western Provincial Council as its office complex.
References
- ^ Kirinde, Chandani (20 November 2016). "PM proposes pay hike, extra allowances for MPs". Sunday Times. Retrieved 21 November 2016.