Monday 22 March 2021

A famous love story in the Colonial Era of Ceylon featuring a British Governor and a Dancer

Sir Thomas Maitland was assigned to Ceylon as the British Governor Governor from 1805–1811.

Governor Maitland constructed his country residence on a breathtaking beachfront property at “Galkissa” (Mount Lavinia) Maitland fell in love with a native gypsy dancer named Lavinia (Lovinia) Aponsuwa a beautiful mestizo girl of mixed Portuguese and Sinhala Rodi ancestry. 

He saw the local mestizo dancer Lovina for the first time and was smitten by her smile and charms and soon found himself obsessed by her beauty. 

It is rumored that Maitland picked a scenic location on the beach-side hill about 10 km (6 miles) south of Colombo after spotting Lavinia bathing in the sea. 

During the construction phase he constructed a secret tunnel to Lavinia’s house. 

As it was unconventional for an unmarried British Officer to be seen associating with a local dancing girl, Sir Thomas and his lover met in secret. 

Later, the British Foreign Office sent Sir Thomas Maitland on a “routine” transfer as Governor General in 1811 to the Meditaranian island of Malta where he lived and died as a bachelor. 

Around the year 1920, the tunnel was sealed up and the Sinhalese village that surrounded the Governor’s mansion developed into a modern bustling city of “Galkissa” (originated from the Sinhala word “GalVissa” or ten boulders) was renamed "Mount Lavinia ” in honor the of mestizo dancing girl Lavinia or Lovinia. 

Little is known of Lavinia but Governor Maitland passed a law permitting lower-caste women in Ceylon such as his lover, to cover the upper torso of their bodies. 

Later, the mansion was made into to a hotel and aptly named “Mount Lavinia ” (in memory of “Lavinia”). 

This enchanting British Colonial heritage hotel, located on a breathtaking beachfront, is a living legacy to the secret love story between the Sir Thomas Maitland, and the beautiful dancer, Lovina.

Columbus Tours (Pvt) Ltd.
No. 06, Tickell Road, Colombo 08, Sri Lanka.
info@columbustourssrilanka.com
(+94)2682634, 2669080, 2687719 , 2682067, 2684225​

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