Mansions or Mausoleums- Memorials to love fulfilled or love unfulfilled dot the globe- the most famous being the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. One such testimony to a shattered love is Richmond Castle in Kalutara, a top sightseeing attraction along with the famed Kalutara Bodhiya. To sightsee in Kalutara, the nearby tourist hub of Wadduwa is a good base with hotels in Wadduwa offering accommodation from modest comfort to luxury living and Taprobana Wadduwa would be a good choice in the latter category.
Richmond Castle was built in the early 1900’s by Mudaliyar Don Arthur De Silva Wijeysinghe Siriwardene for his bride, Clarice Suriyabandara. After marriage the couple settled at Richmond Castle but after sometime the childless marriage fell apart. The Mudaliyar bequeathed his wealth to the Public Trustee and retired to Room no 77 of the Queens Hotel in Kandy where he led a reclusive life until his death.
A fusion of Oriental and Occidental architecture, Richmond Castle stands on 42 acres. The Castle boasts of 99 doors and 38 windows with etchings of grape vines on their glass panes and teak wood has been used everywhere. The Banquet Hall has an underground cooling system where the cooling air of the Kalu Ganga runs through a pathway in the Castle’s foundations. Six archways linked by 12 teak pillars hold up the roof. The pillars are embellished with carvings similar to Kandy’s Embekke Devale carvings. The huge staircase carved with a fusion of western and Sri Lankan styles branches into two and reaches the upper floor as two separate stairways. The garden has a profusion of fruit trees and is dotted with statues of children as the Mudaliyar loved children.
Another version of the building of Richmond Castle attributes it to the Mudaliyar having being offended by an Indian Prince’s comments on Sri Lanka and building a Castle to rival that of his Indian friend. He is said to have invited the Prince to the opening ceremony and the latter much impressed had apologized to the Mudliyar for his earlier remarks.
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.