St. Mary’s Church, Negombo
| St. Mary’s Church, Negombo | |
|---|---|
 St. Mary’s Church, Negombo | |
| Basic information | |
| Location | Negombo, Sri Lanka |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Status | Active |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Neoclassicism |
| Groundbreaking | 1874 |
The St. Mary’s Church, Negombo is landmark edifice, a Roman Catholic church in the heart of the Negombo town. Its exterior surface is painted in pink colour.[1] It is one of the largest cathedrals in Sri Lanka.[2]
Location
St. Mary's Church is located in the Grand Street in the heart of Negombo town.[3][4] It is in the Gampaha District, a second town under the Colombo Metropolitan Regional Structural plan of the Urban Development Authority (UDA). It is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the Katunayake Airport, and is connected by the Colombo - Chilaw - Puttlam road.[5]
History
Negombo has been influenced greatly by the Christian faith from the time it was occupied by the Portuguese. It is often called "Little Rome" in view of the large number of churches in the town.[6]
Construction of the church was started in 1874 and completed, after a long gap, in 1922.[2] The art and architecture of this church and a few similar other churches in Sri Lanka demonstrate the cultural amalgamation of the European practice with Sri Lankan art and architecture during the early years of the 20th century.[7]
Features
The church was built in neoclassicism style with columns and plain walls. Its ceilings are painted with alabaster images of many saints. The walls at the upper level are fixed with sculptures of religious saints.[2] The unique paintings on the life of Christ on the ceiling were done by the N.S. Godamanne, a local Buddhist painter.[4] The beauty of the paintings on the nave is described as "thunderous".[6] A testator paid the cost of one of the altars, which was imported from Europe.[8]
References
- ↑ Guides 2015, p. 301.
- 1 2 3 "St Mary's Church, the crowning glory of Negombo". Negombo News. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- ↑ Cummings 2006, p. 112.
- 1 2 "Religious fervour and communal harmony in Negombo". Daily News. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- ↑ "Negombo". Negombo Municipal Council. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- 1 2 Atkinson 2009, p. 106.
- ↑ Pinto 2015, p. 105.
- ↑ Śrēṣṭhādhikaraṇaya 1974, p. 227.
Bibliography
- Atkinson, Brett (2009). Sri Lanka. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-74104-835-3.
- Cummings, Joe (2006). Sri Lanka. Ediz. Inglese. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-74059-975-7.
- Guides, Insight (2 November 2015). Insight Guides: Sri Lanka. APA. ISBN 978-1-78005-545-9.
- Pinto, Leonard (14 July 2015). Being a Christian in Sri Lanka: Historical, Political, Social, and Religious Considerations. Balboa Press. ISBN 978-1-4525-2862-5.
- Śrēṣṭhādhikaraṇaya, Sri Lanka. (1974). Reports of Sri Lanka Tax Cases: Containing Cases Decided by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and Her Majesty the Queen in Her Privy Council on Appeal from the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) on Income Tax, Excess Profits Duty, Profits Tax, Personal Tax, Business Turnover Tax, Surcharge on Income Tax, Estate Duty, and Stamp Duty. Department of Inland Revenue.
Coordinates: 7°12′04″N 79°50′17″E / 7.201°N 79.838°E