Galle - Koggala Lake

                                                  Koggala Lake

                                                         

                                        

The largest lake in the island, Koggala lake is an unspoilt ecological haven a few hundred meters away from the resort. The small islands scattered in the lake ideal for bird watching at sunset. This beautiful turquoise lagoon is just a couple of kilometers away from the town; dotted with rocky islands & fringed with mangroves. The lagoon teems with birdlife & supply prawns in abundance. Motor boat trips & catamaran rides take you to the smaller islands around the lagoon, each showcasing a unique experience in itself.

Dutch Reformed Church Of Galle

Galle Church — Burial Chambers And Vaults

The Dutch Reformed Church, with gables on the eastern and western walls, but no tower, was completed in 1755. It is similar in style to the ones in Negapatnam and Cochin in India, even including the walls. It is built on the site of an earlier Portuguese convent. Around the church and within the walls is a small graveyard.

The church: Groote Kerk, surrounded by a small cemetery with old gravestones. It has two entrances. One in the front, visible on the left, the other on the right hand side.

It was to such a Chamber that the body of Gerard Hulft , the Dutch Commander who was killed during the siege of Colombo, was kept. For it is on record that, "the body of General Hulft was received in Galle three days after his untimely death .... and placed within a masonry catalogue in De Groot Kerk for one year. Thereafter, it was lowered into a grave on the right of the pulpit within the Church — the General’s arms and spurs being hung on the wall, over the grave. The following year, 1658, the Dutch conquest of coastal Ceylon being complete, the body of Hulft was removed to the State Dutch Church, within the Colombo Fort, where it was placed in a tomb".
Today the Burial Chambers -there being two adjacent to each other- in the north garden of the Galle Church can be seen and entered. With funds and expertise provided by the Netherlands Government, the Chambers as well as the interior of the Church have been repaired and restored.
The present day visitor may enter down a flight of steps and see the lime-stone arches of the Chambers. Still very damp and sweating.
As to any subsequent discovery, R. L. Brohier alludes also to a two-chambered vault underneath the Church floor. One of these he says was opened in 1908 — but little is of the other. The manuscript of his book, "Links between Sri Lanka and The Netherlands" — a book of Dutch Ceylon, was completed sometime in the mid - 1970’s. So the entry we’ include from his publication as above — is relevant. The Chamber discovered when the garden caved in , was not accurately identified by him at the time.
There is also a vault that can be identified underneath the western end of the nave of the Church, and within it. We have it on record that this vault was last opened in 1925. An account has been included in the publication Links Between Sri Lanka and The Netherlands. The account as given is by R. G. Anthonisz, the first Government Archivist and Librarian appointed by the British Colonial administration.
During the repairs effected to the Church, in 1925 the Church was without a roof. The heavy rains made the flooring sink in certain places. There was then the fear that one of the vaults which were believed to be under the floor beneath the Church floor had collapsed. R. G. Anthonisz was consulted in regard to the opening of the vault

Interior of the Galle church. To the left, on the wall, is a peculiar mural tablet bearing the coat of arms of Abraham Samlant, a well-known Commandeur of Galle in the 18th century. @ Photo: Krane

Then according to the directions received from the Government the vault was re-opened in 1925. R. L. Brohier describes in his book of Dutch Ceylon that when the vault was opened it was found to have been in good preservation — though much smaller than expected, a mere 6 by 9 by 5 1/2 feet. The remains of the last coffin was there, the lid covering the bones. On a side there were fragments of other old bones and bits of coffins scattered around. An account giving the history of the vault and the reason for opening it were bottled and the vault closed.
This is interesting history and those who care can see the Chambers in the north garden and go round the beautiful Church after its re-dedication at the end of October‘ 2004. A Service will be held by the Dutch Reformed Church of Ceylon attended by high dignitaries of State in the country.

Galle Cultural Museum  Within the Fort of Galle in a Dutch Colonial building in Church Street is the Cultural Museum adjoining the New Oriental Hotel. The artifacts reflect the art and culture of the Southern Province. The National Maritime Museum, Galle  Located within the Fort of Galle in a colonial Dutch ware-house with imposing pillars, this museum displays the fauna & flora of the sea. Artifacts consist of preserved material and scaled down models of whales and fishes. Generally, all the resources of the sea are displayed in this Museum. It also shows in diorama form with life sized models, the traditional methods of fishing. Some artifacts of underwater archaeology are also on display. An interesting experiment is the 'walk-into-the sea' diorama, showing the natural coral beds, sea grass beds and deep sea fishes. Finally, one leaves the museum seeing the causes of sea pollution, coast erosion and methods used to combat these problems.                 On display     Galle Museum