The Old Parliament of Colombo is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in the city. Standing tall and proud, facing the Indian Ocean, this iconic building has played an important role in Sri Lanka’s political arena since it was established back in the colonial era.
The Old Parliament building which embraces a neo-baroque style of architecture is quite a marvellous sight to behold. The regal façade of the building makes it quite impressive for sure. A number of sleek skyscrapers have been built around the area, but nothing beats the grandeur and the charm of this beautiful structure!
The majestic building was designed to house the Legislative Council of Ceylon by Woodson, who was the Chief Architect of the Public Works Department of Ceylon. The estimated cost of the scheme was initially only 400,000 rupees! It was later revised to 450,000 rupees.
History
The Old Parliament Building was opened in the year 1930. It was used by the State Council of Ceylon from 1931 to 1947. The National State Assembly convened in this building from 1972 to 1977. In the year 1977, the building was renamed Parliament of Sri Lanka. The new parliament building was constructed in Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte in year 1983. Since 1983, the old building was used as the home of the Presidential Secretariat, housing the Office of the President.
Bronze statues of D. S. Senanayake -the first Prime Minister of Ceylon, Dudley Senanayake- second Prime Minister of Ceylon, General Sir John Kotalawela- third Prime Minister of Ceylon and Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan- the first native elected member of a Legislative Council in the British Empire, are to be seen in the grounds of the Old Parliament. It is a picturesque destination that epitomizes the grandeur and charm of this enchanting paradise island’s colonial heritage. When you are travelling in the city with Green Holiday Centre, you will be able to admire this site with great ease.