Viharamahadevi Park
During World War II it was occupied by the British Army with Australian 17th Brigade based at Victoria Park. After the war the park was restored and open to the public in 1951.
There used to be a cricket ground in the park, which was used for first-class cricket between 1927 and 1995. Ceylon played against a touring English team there in 1927 and against an Australian team in 1935.
The park features include a huge Buddha statue which replaced the statue of Queen Victoria which originally stood there, and a series of water fountains. It also includes a mini zoo, a children's play area and a BAC Jet Provost. There are Muscovy ducks in the park. They swim in the artificial lake and walk on the grass beside it.
Viharamahadevi Park is the only large-scale public park in Colombo, and is maintained by the Colombo Municipal Council. Located at its western end is the Cenotaph War Memorial, Colombo and the Colombo Public Library. The Vihara Maha Devi Park Open Air Stadium is a venue for concerts and public events.
See also
References
- ^ "Principal Ceylon Events, 1958". Ferguson's Ceylon Directory, Colombo. 1959.
- ^ "First-class matches played on Vihara Mahadevi Park, Colombo". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- ^ "Port of Colombo".
- ^ "The photographs of Viharamahadevi Park, July 2018". Independent Travellers. independent-travellers.com. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
Maps
6°54′50″N 79°51′38″E / 6.91389°N 79.86056°E