The House on Mudiyansegewatta
Secrets of a Suburb in Dalugama: A Tale of Mystery and Intrigue
Nestled just six miles from the bustling heart of Colombo, the capital of Ceylon, Dalugama was a world apart. Unlike the towering, multi-story buildings and affluent neighbourhoods that defined the city’s southern reaches, this quaint village exuded a quiet, unassuming charm. Tucked in the northeast of the capital, Dalugama was a serene escape from the frenetic energy of Colombo’s coastal belt and the urban sprawl to the south. Here, life moved at a gentler pace, untouched by the chaos of the city, offering a glimpse into a more straightforward, more tranquil way of living.
In Dalugama, the rhythm of life was distinctly different from the cosmopolitan buzz of Colombo. The air was filled with the melodic cadence of Sinhala, as English was rarely spoken. Few village men and women had attended the elite Colombo schools that dotted the southern part of the city. Instead, they embraced their traditions — men draped in sarongs, women adorned in sarees or long skirts, starkly contrasting the tailored trousers, short skirts, and English chatter that defined the South. While Colombo’s residents shopped in gleaming department stores and dined in upscale restaurants, Dalugama’s charm lay in its simplicity.
The village was a tapestry of coconut palms swaying gently in the breeze, banana trees heavy with fruit, and endless stretches of emerald paddy fields. Tiny, humble houses and modest shops dotted the landscape, depicting rural serenity. The streets of Colombo, smooth and tarred, spoke of urban order, but Dalugama’s lanes were narrow, winding, and often gravel-strewn, adding to its rustic allure. It was a place where time seemed to slow, and the soul of Ceylon’s countryside thrived, untouched by the city’s hurried pulse.
The heart of Dalugama was its church, dedicated to Saint Francis of Sales, a 15th-century French saint. A gravel path led to the whitewashed church, constructed in 1865, featuring a wide verandah stretching along its sides, offering shade to its predominantly Catholic congregation. The serene atmosphere of Dalugama stood in stark contrast to the bustling energy of neighbouring Kiribathgoda, the only area that mirrored the chaos of urban life. Kiribathgoda was home to a large bus station, serving as a hub for commuters travelling to Colombo for work and students heading to school. Its streets were slightly broader, lined with tightly packed shops and homes that often opened directly onto the sidewalks, blending daily life and commerce in full view of passersby. Unlike the tranquil air of Dalugama, Kiribathgoda’s atmosphere was filled with the pungent scents of suburban activity, its streets alive with people, stray dogs, and scavenging crows.
The Jayasinghe family lived on Mudiyansegewatta, a quiet street behind the church. Mudiyansegewatta, in the 17th century, belonged to a village headman named Mudiyanse, and his descendants now made up most of the neighbourhood’s residents. Very few Buddhists, despite being the majority in Ceylon, lived there; the community in Mudiyansegewatta was predominantly Catholic, filled with devout men and women who carried names like Henry, Albert, Andrew, Peter, Thomas, Jeremias, and Benjamin, alongside women named Mary, Jane, Martha, Mariya, Susan, and Juliet. The women often wore veils, and the close-knit community’s air of faith and tradition was palpable.
Mudiyansegewatta featured twin entrances: one located behind the church, accessible from the Kohalwila Road to the southwest, and the other extending toward Kandy Road, just beyond the 7th-mile post, adjacent to Kiribathgoda town in the north. Along the road, vibrant red and white flowers bloomed, accompanied by various other multicoloured tropical plants.
Mudiyansegewatta was lined with numerous houses, which were modest in design and featured white brick walls and red-tiled roofs. Most homes were set a short distance from the road, visible through the lush greenery surrounding them. Inside, the family homes were furnished with simple, everyday items, such as cane chairs, teapoes, and cupboards holding their crockery. At the heart of each house stood a petromax lamp, fueled by kerosene oil, illuminating the nights. In the centre of the living room, a small altar was dedicated to Jesus and Mary, along with popular saints like Anthony and Sebastian, their statues prominently displayed.
The property, originally belonging to Susan Jayawardane’s family, became home to the Jayasinghe family after Susan’s marriage to Thomas Jayasinghe. When the family first moved in in 1959, it was a modest structure with two bedrooms, a living area, and an open kitchen. By 1962, the house underwent significant expansion, transforming into a more comfortable home with four bedrooms, a formal dining room, and additional living space.
The house featured an open verandah with an armchair and two cane chairs, leading to a spacious four-panelled front door. To the right of the verandah stood a separate bedroom with its entrance, detached from the main house. This room held special significance, as Susan’s father, Lewis Jayawardane, had built the original home in the 1940s, embossing his initials “LJ” into the concrete grill. After his passing, the room became a weekend retreat for Susan’s brother, who taught at a remote school.
The main entrance opened into a living room with a sofa, centre table, and display cupboard. The master bedroom, occupied by Thomas and Susan, lay to the right. The two younger kids slept in their bedroom, leaving little space between beds. The adjoining bedroom housed their eldest child and the grandmother. The fourth bedroom, adjacent to the kitchen, was used as a storage room. Between the living room and kitchen, the dining room featured a carved ebony table crafted by Lewis for Susan’s wedding, comfortably seating ten people. The entire house had a cemented floor painted red, and though modestly sized, it adequately accommodated a family of six after its expansion.
The house stood at the back of the property, at the end of a long driveway. The expansive grounds were adorned with coconut trees, some towering fifty feet high while others were just a few feet tall. The backyard was lush with banana trees, papaya, coconut palms, jackfruit trees, and herbs. The grandmother kept a chicken coop that provided eggs for family meals. The toilet was at the far end, at a fair distance from the house. Everyone carried a bucket of water for their morning rituals. The front garden was extensive, featuring flower beds filled with cannas and vibrant croton plants, ferns, and numerous flower pots decorating the front yard. About fifty feet to the left of the garden was the family’s water well, where everyone bathed using buckets to draw water. The well was surrounded by a thick clump of trees that provided privacy, along with pandan trees and a pepper vine that climbed as high as the nearby jackfruit tree.
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