Prime Minister's House (Colombo)
Encyclopedia
Prime Minister's House, most commonly known as Temple Trees, is the official residence
of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
. It is located in Colombo
, Sri Lanka
. Several recent Presidents have used it as their official residence too.
Currently it is used by HE Mahinda Rajapakse, the 5th Executive President of Sri Lanka.
administrators and traders. It was owned between 1830-1834 by John Walbeoff of the British Civil Service
, who headed the Cinnamon Department of Ceylon. The house was subsequently acquired by George Winter, a wealthy merchant and the first editor of the Colombo Observer. Later it was sold to John Philip Green who named it "Temple Trees" in 1856 for the Temple Trees that grew around the bungalow
.
The house was purchased by the British Government of Ceylon and became the residence of the Colonial Secretary
. Since 1948 it became the residence of the Prime Minister of Ceylon and D. S. Senanayake
became the first Prime Minister to take up residence. Some Prime Ministers since then have preferred to stay at their private homes and only use Temple Trees for official functions. As such S W R D Bandaranaike
, who was assassinated while at his private residence at Rosmead Place.
Temple Trees has taken centrestage in many episodes of modern Sri Lankan history. During the attempted military coup
in 1962 by senior police and reservist military officers, Temple Trees was the prime target. The armoured cars stationed there were withdrawn to facilitate a take over by troops of the Ceylon Artillery
. However the coup was thwarted by the CID
and internal security detail of the Royal Ceylon Navy took up guard of Temple Trees. The coup leaders were brought to Temple Trees for questioning.
It once again it became a refuge for Sirimavo Bandaranaike when she was rushed there on the night of April 4, 1971 after an assassination plot was uncovered, to be carried out at her private residence at Rosmead Place, at the outset of the 1971 JVP Insurrection. Many cabinet ministers also took refuge at Temple Trees during the early days of the insurrection. It soon became the primary operations centre for all military operations against the insurrection.
Since the 1970s Temple Trees has been heavily guarded with many roads around the mansion and its grounds closed off due to the Sri Lankan civil war
.
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...
of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. However, the President is both head of state and head of government in Sri Lanka...
. It is located in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. Several recent Presidents have used it as their official residence too.
Currently it is used by HE Mahinda Rajapakse, the 5th Executive President of Sri Lanka.
History
The history of Temple Trees dates back to early 19th century. Its ownership passed though several prominent BritishBritish people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
administrators and traders. It was owned between 1830-1834 by John Walbeoff of the British Civil Service
British Civil Service
Her Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as the Home Civil Service, is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports Her Majesty's Government - the government of the United Kingdom, composed of a Cabinet of ministers chosen by the prime minister, as well as the devolved...
, who headed the Cinnamon Department of Ceylon. The house was subsequently acquired by George Winter, a wealthy merchant and the first editor of the Colombo Observer. Later it was sold to John Philip Green who named it "Temple Trees" in 1856 for the Temple Trees that grew around the bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
.
The house was purchased by the British Government of Ceylon and became the residence of the Colonial Secretary
Colonial Secretary
Colonial Secretary may refer to:* Secretary of State for the Colonies, British Cabinet minister who headed the Colonial Office, commonly referred to as Colonial Secretary...
. Since 1948 it became the residence of the Prime Minister of Ceylon and D. S. Senanayake
Don Stephen Senanayake
Don Stephen Senanayake was an independence activist who served as the first Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1947 to 1952.-Early life:...
became the first Prime Minister to take up residence. Some Prime Ministers since then have preferred to stay at their private homes and only use Temple Trees for official functions. As such S W R D Bandaranaike
Solomon Bandaranaike
Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (Sinhala:සොලමන් වෙස්ට් රිජ්වේ ඩයස් බන්ඩාරනායක)(Tamil:சாலமன் வெஸ்ட் ரிச்சர்ட் டயஸ் பண்டாரநாயக்கா)Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (Sinhala:සොලමන් වෙස්ට් රිජ්වේ ඩයස් බන්ඩාරනායක)(Tamil:சாலமன் வெஸ்ட் ரிச்சர்ட் டயஸ்...
, who was assassinated while at his private residence at Rosmead Place.
Temple Trees has taken centrestage in many episodes of modern Sri Lankan history. During the attempted military coup
Attempted military coup in Ceylon, 1962
The 1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt was a failed military coup planned in Sri Lanka . Several Christian senior military and policy officers planned to topple the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mrs...
in 1962 by senior police and reservist military officers, Temple Trees was the prime target. The armoured cars stationed there were withdrawn to facilitate a take over by troops of the Ceylon Artillery
Sri Lanka Artillery
The Sri Lanka Artillery is a corps of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of 7 regular regiments and 2 volunteer regiments. The SLA is headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.-History:...
. However the coup was thwarted by the CID
CID
-Criminal investigation:* Criminal Investigation Department, the branch of British police forces and many other Commonwealth police forces to which plain clothes detectives belong...
and internal security detail of the Royal Ceylon Navy took up guard of Temple Trees. The coup leaders were brought to Temple Trees for questioning.
It once again it became a refuge for Sirimavo Bandaranaike when she was rushed there on the night of April 4, 1971 after an assassination plot was uncovered, to be carried out at her private residence at Rosmead Place, at the outset of the 1971 JVP Insurrection. Many cabinet ministers also took refuge at Temple Trees during the early days of the insurrection. It soon became the primary operations centre for all military operations against the insurrection.
Since the 1970s Temple Trees has been heavily guarded with many roads around the mansion and its grounds closed off due to the Sri Lankan civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
.