The night that "Lavinia" shone like the brightest jewel in the crown

As dusk fell on Friday the 14, this grandest of hotels looked like the brightest jewel in a crown. It was a scene to behold, a blend of a page out of another era and the modern age. The occasion - the gala celebration that was to expect ?a gastronomical journey of 200 minutes? - lasted much longer and was the best of the year long events so far held for the 200th anniversary of Mt.Lavinia hotel.
The evening began at 7.00 p.m., with 1700 invitees expected to grace the occasion. The entire north block of the hotel was used for this sprawling celebration the like of which this writer has not experienced in her whole journalistic career.

It was a celebration fit for royalty. The hotel?s entire staff had worked out every detail and every guest was treated with special courtesy from the moment he/she was presented with a mini folded map of where all the food was available?and there was enough to feed an army---till the moment you made your way out at whatever time you chose to leave. The invitation said 7.00 p. m. onwards, but when this writer left a few minutes after 9.00 p. m., fresh batches of guests were coming in while the rest did not look as though they were prepared to leave till the witching hour of midnight.

To add to the milling crowd of hotel residents and guests in the lobby were two bridal parties, one Sri Lankan, the other foreign. The foreign bride, tall and statuesque, with what looked like a diamond tiara adorning her head, wore a white gown with?surprisingly- a black cummerbund round her waist!
If the hotel looked like a jewel from the outside, inside it was like an array of jewels, with lights everywhere, glittering mirrors, and crystal glasses. Drinks prior to an eating orgy you could have indulged in were served in the lower lounge adorned with palms and flowers. Wine flowed like two rivers of red and white, and this writer has never seen so many Sri Lankan men guzzling so much wine, so much so that you hardly noticed a glass of hard liquor around, although that too flowed in plenty, a friend who was consuming it said.
The hotel?s grand Empire Room was devoted entirely to Seafood on ice, the scene dominated by an elaborate ice carving appropriate to the platters of every possible (edible) creature of the sea imaginable. It was of course impossible to sample it all, but there was a seafood pate that was paradise. A live band played delightful numbers including Latin American while you wallowed in the jewels of the ocean depths.

Some of the seafood platters were Salmon Sashimi,Tuna Tataki, Green Shell Mussels and the more common but popular prawns and lobsters. And there were oysters,too! But it is always dicey doing a balancing act with a plate and a glass of wine in one hand while you manipulate your fork with the other.
Anti pasti (roughly, palate tinglers before the main dishes), included mushrooms, Parma ham and Milano Salami (all Italian) Anti pasta is, in fact, Italian.
Down to the Pool Terrace for a spread that had to be seen and tasted to be believed. There was BBQ and Carving, Beef Rib BBQ, Lamb Leg Arabic, Pork Neck Carving. And the humble fish and chips, was also on the table but, sadly, I missed it.

The Thai noodles were delicious, with different sauces and Green Chicken Curry. Jasmine Rice was also to be had. Very popular in spite of all the exotic foreign delicacies, was the Sri Lankan food: Hoppers with a variety of sambols all too familiar to our palates and Fish Ambulthial. All this washed down with the wine you chose to have.

Desserts were mind-boggling - Wonderland, the Governor?s Restaurant was termed for the evening because that is what it looked like with what looked like the whole world?s sweets on display and waiting to be spooned into.
The Dress Code for the occasion being Smart Casual, there were no fuss and feathers to be seen. A live band played at the poolside as well and sent several people onto the floor, unable to resist the riveting beat. In fact, a colleague on another paper suggested that some guests might even have had ideas of diving into the pool to cool down.

An extremely refreshing touch was a few minutes of recorded orchestral Western classical music. This was entirely appropriate to the occasion as it immediately recalled the colonial era when the Mt. Lavinia hotel was built and perhaps even the time the piece of music was composed.

Legend, folklore and hearsay have attributed many roles to the rock or promontory of land upon which Mount Lavinia Hotel stands. Closely associated with sanctuary, rest and protection, the monks of old lit a lamp upon the summit signalling it as sacrosanct. Sailors and fishermen looked to it as they would a beacon to guide them to shore. An Ambalama (Resthouse) upon it provided rest and shelter to pilgrims and travellers during the era of the Kotte Kingdom.
Following the departure of the Portuguese and Dutch colonizers, the British took control. Sir Thomas Maitland, the Second British Governor arrived on the island where he promptly went in search of a place in the country to build his residence, not satisfied with the accommodation he was given on his arrival, he found the most perfect location. In 1806 he constructed his house on this promontory of land in the village of Galkissa. This was a fine country residence described as ‘a delightful bungalow of one floor’.

It was within th e portals of this stately residence that the first set eye on a beautiful mestizo dancer, Lovina Aponsuwa. This high-ranking Governor, known by the sobriquet ‘King tom’, fell instantly in love with this local dancer and before long they were engaged in a clandestine romance with Lovina travelling through an underground passage from the mouth of a disused well which lead to the cellar of the Governor’s House for their secret trysts. The Governor named his house Mount Lavinia House after his beloved Lovina from which the town acquires its name.

Maitland leaves the island of Ceylon and is promptly replaced by Sir Robert Brownrigg, a governor who made his name through his conquest of the Kandyan Kingdom. He and his wife, Lady Brownrigg enjoy entertaining at their country residence, Mount Lavinia House. It was to Mount Lavinia House that Ehelepola ran when he heard that his family was brutally murdered in Kandy by King Sri Wikrama Rajasingha. He was received by Sir Robert and Lady Brownrigg at the gates of Mount Lavinia House. Sir Edward Pagel took over briefly as Governor and resided at Mount Lavinia House, however he was soon to be replaced by the larger than life figure of Sir Edward Barnes.
Governor Barnes and his wife enjoyed the finer things in life and lived extravagantly he remodeled Mount Lavinia into a two-storey grand classical mansion worthy of the man himself. Barnes was to rename this house ‘Marine villa’. Shortly after the house was built, Lt. Colonel William Colebrooke arrives on the island to conduct the famous Colebrooke Commission. Among the recommendations was a cut in expenditure to maintain governor’s Residences such as Mount Lavinia House.

Barnes leaves the island in 1831 and Mount Lavinia House is left neglected in a solitary state of desolation. Thieves scavenge what they can from the house and leave it to ruin. Despite this the barracks on the land were used by the serving troops and in 1833 acted as a sanatorium during the Cholera epidemic.
The house is sold at auction for the sum of 120 Sterling Pounds on 22nd January 1842 to the Rev. Dr. John McVicar, the Colonial Chaplain, a remarkable man described as producing ‘great literary and scientific achievements.’

It was to Mount Lavinia House that Rev. McVicar invited his friend, the talented artist Andrew Nicholl, who was an instructor in Drawing and Design at the Colombo Academy. Andrew Xicholl painted at this location a beautiful watercolour of Mount Lavinia house in 1847.
In 1858 Mount Lavinia House becomes a well-known boarding house, ‘where fresh air and sea bathing, with a beautiful view of Colombo, can be enjoyed to perfection’. In 1877 Mount Lavinia is transformed into a Hotel called the Grand Hotel Mount Lavinia, where a ‘very fine tiffin is served’.
Mount Lavinia Hotel is purchased by Mr. U. K. Edmund in 1975 and taking the reins as Director and, Chairman, completes the Garden and Sea Wing within a year of taking over.

In 1978 Mr. U. K. Edmund was to complete further rebuilding initiatives with the ballroom transformed into magnificent elevated grand room in the Governor’s former Residence and the new Bay Wing completed in 1980.
In 1985 his son, Sanath Ukwatte takes charge as Chairman of Mount Lavinia Hotel and remains so to date. ‘Under his leadership the restoration of the Governor’s house gets underway to include a classically inspired terrace and restaurant and work begins to recreate the original banqueting hall and five first floor reception rooms in preparation for the 200 year celebration of this former British Governor’s country residence.

Written By:Charnika Munasinghe Sunday Standard July 23 2006