Independence Memorial Hall (also known as Independence Commemoration Hall) is a national monument in Sri Lanka built for the commemoration of the independence of Sri Lanka from British rule, with the restoration of full governing responsibility[2] to a Ceylonese-elected legislature on 4 February 1948. It is located in Independence Square (formerly Torrington Square) in the Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo. It also houses the Independence Memorial Museum.
The monument was built at the location where the formal ceremony marking the start of self-rule, with the opening of the first parliament by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester occurred at a special podium on 4 February 1948.
Located at the head of the monument is the statue of the first prime minister of the country Rt. Hon.Don Stephen Senanayake "The Father of the Nation". Most of the annual National Independence Day celebrations have been held here. Apart from being a monument, it served as the ceremonial assembly hall for the Senate of Ceylon and the House of Representatives of Ceylon until the parliament was moved to the new parliament complex. Currently it is the venue for religious events and annual national day celebrations.
Design
The formal ceremony marking the start of self-rule, with the opening of the first parliament at the special podium at the present Independence Square, Colombo.
↑Welikala, Asanga (2012). The Sri Lankan Republic at 40: Reflections on Constitutional History, Theory and Practice. Colombo: Centre for Policy Alternatives. p.152. ISBN978-955-1655-93-8.
↑Pieris, Anoma (2013). Architecture and Nationalism in Sri Lanka: The Trouser Under the Cloth. New York: Routledge. p.112. ISBN978-0-415-63002-3.
↑Daswatte, Channa (2006). Sri Lanka Style: Tropical Design and Architecture. Hong Kong: Periplus Editions Ltd. p.172. ISBN978-0-7946-0060-0.
