General's House, Nuwara Eliya

General's House is a country house in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. It is the vacationing and country residence of Members of Parliament.[1] Located within the limits of the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council along the Grand Hotel Drive, next to The Hill Club, it is maintained by the Members' Services Office of the Parliament Secretariat.

General's House
General information
AddressGrand Hotel Drive
Town or cityNuwara Eliya
CountrySri Lanka
Coordinates6.971112°N 80.762907°E / 6.971112; 80.762907
Current tenantsParliament of Sri Lanka
ClientGovernment of Sri Lanka

History

In 1904 the Colonial Secretary authorised the construction of a new residence for the General Officer Commanding at Nuwara Eliya.[2] In 1906 a sum of £20,882 was allocated for the acquisition of the site.[3] Built as an English country house, during the late 19th century by the British Colonial administration of the island for the use of the British General Officer Commanding, Ceylon as a vacationing residence in the cold highlands of Nuwara Eliya. Following independence in 1948 the house became the official vacationing residence of the Commander of the Ceylon Army and later was transferred to Parliament Secretariat. The nineteen room bungalow is currently available for the exclusive use by members of parliament and their families, at a heavily subsidised rate.[4][5]

Haunting

The old house is said to be haunted by the ghost of an English lady who was found dead in one of the rooms under mysterious circumstances.[6]

See also

References

  1. "Members' Services Office". Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  2. House of Commons (1904). "Parliamentary Papers". 51.. H. M. Stationery Office: 64. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. House of Commons (1906). "Sessional Papers. Inventory Control - Record 1". 73. H. M. Stationery Office: 573. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. Ferdinando, Shamindra (27 September 2009). "A luxury holiday at N' Eliya at Rs. 100 a day, anybody?". The Island. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  5. Muller, Carl (2000). Colombo: A Novel. Penguin. ISBN 9789351181583.
  6. "MP's blood-curdling encounter in spooky General's House". The Daily Mirror. 20 October 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
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