аÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û

Galle Face Green-by Jorge Láscar-

Top 10 Facts about Galle Face Green

The 5 hectares (12 acres) oceanfront Galle Face urban park is located in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial and financial hub, and it spans 500 meters (1,600 feet) down the coast.

Even though the ancient Galle Face Green had a far broader area than what is now visible, Governor Sir Henry George Ward first laid out the promenade in 1859.

The Galle Face Green has been used for cricket, polo, football, tennis, and rugby in addition to being a horse racing and golf course in the past.

Galle Face Green once covered a significantly bigger area than it does now. The greatest open area in Colombo is currently the Galle Face Green, a 5-hectare ribbon of land between Galle Road and the Indian Ocean.

Here are 10 facts about Galle Face Green.

1. Galle Face Green once covered a significantly bigger area than it does now

Colombo Galle Face Green-by Morgendorfferr-

According to records, it was bordered to the north by Beira Lake, the ramparts of Colombo Fort, and the city cemetery (founded in 1803).

To the west by the Indian Ocean, to the south by the Galle Face Hotel (founded in 1864, although the original building on the site was a Dutch villa), and to the east by St. Peter’s Church (consecrated in 1821).

2. The Dutch-designed the Galle Face Green at first

The Dutch originally designed the Galle Face Green to give their cannons a tactical line of fire against the Portuguese.

One explanation for the origin of the name Galle Face is that it comes from the original Dutch name for the fortifications.

The entrance to the Colombo Fort was known as the Gal Gate because it faced south toward Galle.

Since faas means front, the name Galle Face literally translates to “in front of the fortification that faced toward Galle.”

Gal Bokka, the area’s original name for its rocky beach, is said to be a corruption of Gal Gate, which originally meant rock gate. Gal is the Sinhalese word for rock.

3. It was the first location where  the Colombo Golf Club was first inaugurated

Royal Colombo Golf Club 006-by Anuradha Dullewe Wijeyeratne-

Several British immigrants played golf on the Galle Face Green in 1879, introducing the sport to Ceylon.

The Colombo Golf Club was first established there without a clubhouse or a legitimate golf course. On March 13, 1880, at the Colombo Club, the club had its inaugural annual general meeting.

The club was eventually relocated to its current location in Borella after the promeande became more congested and the golf club was forced to share the space with a variety of other sports and the general public.

A highly intriguing truth about Galle Face Green is that Sir Henry Ward, the Governor of British Ceylon, was initially exposed to golf there.

4. Galle Face Green is a city park beside the ocean

Galle Face Green Hotel, Sri Lanka-by S B –

The Galle Face Green is a 5-hectare stretch of land situated between Galle Road and the Indian Ocean.

Today, this area is regarded as Colombo’s largest open space and one of the city’s top attractions.

For many people, including children, sellers, teenagers, couples, kite flyers, merrymakers, and anybody else who wants to indulge in their favorite activities next to the sea under the open sky, it is a very well-liked place.

5. Galle Face Green’s history goes back to the eighteenth century

Srilanka Colombo Galle face-by. Krankman-

Governor Sir Henry George Ward first planned and surveyed the area in 1859. The original Galle Face Green covered a far bigger area than what is now visible.

Recreation-related pursuits happened here including sports like golf and horse racing. Also, rugby, football, tennis, polo, cricket, and other sports were played there.

6. The Galle Face Green was initially used for horse racing

Early in the 1820s, under the leadership of the then-British Governor Sir Edward Barnes, horse racing was first conducted in Galle Face (1776–1838).

Previously a swampy location, the esplanade in front of the fort was filled with soil and leveled specifically for this purpose. The length of the race course was roughly 1.5 miles.

Up until 1893, when horse racing was shifted to the Colombo Racecourse, the location was known as the Colpetty Race Course.

The first formal horse racing meet was conducted on the Green in 1821, and the Turf and Sporting Club was established in the early 1820s.

7. How to reach Galle Face Green

Due to its location in the city’s center, Galle Face Green in Colombo is easily accessible by a variety of forms of transportation from every region of the city.

A taxi ride to Galle Face Green from the Colombo airport will take you about 30 minutes and cost between INR 750 and INR 950 for a one-way trip.

A direct bus from Katunayake Airport Bus Station to Colombo Bastian Mawatha Bus Terminal, which is close to Galle Face Green, will take about an hour and a half and cost about INR 56 if you’re seeking a more affordable option. 

8. It was converted into a temporary protest camp by Sri Lankan protestors

During the Sri Lankan protests of 2022, Galle Face Green was transformed into a temporary protest camp.

This was by demonstrators calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down in response to the country’s ongoing economic problems.

On April 9, 2022, they occupied the Galle Face Green and erected the protest camp.

The camp was equipped with all the necessities, including food, water, restrooms, medical services, and a lending library.

9. It is maintained by Sri Lanka Port Management and Consultancy Services

The Sri Lanka Urban Development Authority managed and kept up the Galle Face Green until 2014 when responsibility was handed over to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

Since 2016, Sri Lanka Port Management and Consultancy Services, a government-owned organization run by the Ministry of Ports and Shipping, has been caring for the park.

10. It serves as a venue for significant events

Military gathering Galle Face Green-by Adbar-

It serves as the location for Sri Lanka’s annual national day ceremony on February 4. Also, it held the tallest artificial Christmas tree in the world on December 25, 2016.

The oldest radio station in South Asia, Radio Ceylon, which later became the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, taped a number of shows from their outside broadcast input in the 1950s and 1960s here.

The Ceylon Inter-Continental Hotel and the charming Galle Face Hotel, one of Sri Lanka’s oldest and most well-liked hotels, are the two big hotels that border the strip.