Viharamahadevi Park

Viharamahadevi Park covers about 45 acres in the Cinnamon Gardens area of Colombo, directly in front of the white colonial Town Hall. It is the oldest and largest park in the city and is maintained by the Colombo Municipal Council.

The British colonial administration laid out the park and named it Victoria Park after Queen Victoria. During the Second World War it was taken over by the British Army, with Australian troops based there, and it reopened to the public in 1951. On 18 July 1958 it was renamed after Queen Viharamahadevi, mother of King Dutugamunu.

A large seated Buddha statue stands at one end of the park, on the site where a statue of Queen Victoria once stood. The park has a series of fountains, an artificial lake with Muscovy ducks, a mini zoo, children's play areas and an old Jet Provost aircraft on display. Between 1927 and 1995 a cricket ground in the park hosted first-class matches, including games against touring English and Australian teams.

Wide paths lined with tropical trees make the park popular for walks and jogging in the morning and evening. Many trees bloom between March and May, when the park is at its most colourful. The Nelum Pokuna theatre and the National Museum of Colombo are nearby.

Entry is free, and the park is open from early morning until evening.

What stands around the park? The domed Colombo Town Hall, home of the Colombo Municipal Council, faces the park's northern edge. At the western end stand the Cenotaph War Memorial and the Colombo Public Library. The National Museum of Colombo, the oldest museum in Sri Lanka, lies a short walk south along Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, and the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre, shaped like a lotus pond, stands close to the park.

The Viharamahadevi Park Open Air Stadium inside the park hosts concerts, exhibitions and public events, and the park is a busy gathering place during Vesak in May, when Colombo is decorated with lanterns and pandals.

Visiting tips. The park is open all year. Mornings bring joggers and walkers, and evenings bring families and street-food sellers around the gates. Tuk-tuks and ride-hailing cars drop off on Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, and the park lies about 15 minutes by road from Galle Face Green and the Fort district. Pack a hat and water at midday, as shade is patchy in the open areas.