Construction work on the ‘National Sandalwood Garden’ in Battaramulla is underway on the instructions of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The Ministry of Urban Development and Housing says that this is the first leisure centre in Sri Lanka to be built amidst a thousand sandalwood trees giving people living in urban areas a place to relax in the shade of these rare trees.
Sandalwood trees have a high medicinal value and provide the perfect place for people to relax with their loved ones.
The National Sandalwood Garden is being built on an area of nine acres near the Parliament Complex, adjacent to ‘Ape Gama’ village premises in Battaramulla, near the Sri Lanka-Japan Friendship Road.
The planting of 1,000 sandalwood trees is scheduled to commence next week and the construction of 11 ponds in the garden is currently underway. An outdoor theatre will also be built in the middle of two large ponds.
The outdoor theatre will be a venue for hosting plays, concerts, book launches and more.
The Garden will also provide a place for people to exercise, conduct yoga programs and other similar wellbeing programs. There will also be restaurants and parking facilities.
The first phase of the project will be completed at the cost of Rs. 132 million. The cost will be borne by the UDA and the construction is carried out by the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation on the instructions of the Urban Development Authority.
http://www.ft.lk/front-page/Work-on...arden-in-Battaramulla-gets-underway/44-707808
