Essay: Galle by Dilantha Gunawardana

Dilantha Gunawardhana’s essay takes you on a virtual trip to Galle Road as he shares the history behind it and other interesting tidbits.

Journeying along the old Galle Road, you pass a historical town, Panadura, that had the muscle of Sinhalese literary figures in its emancipatory past; a haven for fresh fish, Beruwala;  a destination filled with numerous 4-star and 5-star hotels called Benthota; a beautifully sculpted lake/estuary of the Madu River centred on Balapitiya; a town known for colorful hand-chiseled masks whose devil is in the forensic detail, named as Ambalangoda; the local Goa, Hikkaduwa, and finally you come across the old port city of Galle with its colonial charm and local bustle, lying as an outpost placed on the south-western tip of Sri Lanka. The coastal drive where a traveller can take comfort in the gentle sea breeze, the turquoise to navy blue ocean, and eroding groves of coconut, is now surpassed by the Galle highway which was built internally to cater to a quicker drive to this beautiful hideout, away from the fast-paced rat race of Colombo.