Stopover at ‘Virama Mandiraya’

We are on the Southern Expressway. A huge sign board announces the Rest Area halfway between Kottawa and Galle. We decide to drive in. There is plenty of space for parking with neatly allocated areas. We walk in to the very modern, impressive white building.

We are greeted by two young receptionists as we pass a tourist promotion desk with a wide array of colourful brochures and booklets. They were on a ‘test run’ before a permanent site is set up by the Sri Lanka Tourist Promotion Bureau.

As we proceed we notice a solidly constructed commemorative plaque on the right signifying the opening of the ‘Virama Mandiraya’ – the Rest Bay.  It carried the message in Sinhala, Tamil and English:

 “Virama Mandiraya – the Rest Bay to serve the needs of the public on the Southern Expressway was gifted by His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa who steered the country towards a modern era -declared open on 6 December 2012.”

The imposing building has a series of food stalls on its right and grocery and souvenir shops on the left. A spacious reception hall is being built on the first floor. It is bound to be a popular venue for wedding receptions. Halfway between Kottawa and Galle, it is convenient for everyone to get there. There won’t be a parking problem either.

Starting from CIC’s Juiceez, a number of food stalls including the popular Gihan’s Restaurant and cafes offering continental menus offer a wide choice at the Rest Bay. Monis – the popular bakery name in Maggona along Galle Road – has already made its mark with everyone dropping in at the   Rest bay making a point to pick up a pack or two of ‘rulang’ biscuits and other sweetmeats. Right opposite is an identical Rest Bay for the benefit of travellers from Galle to Colombo.

Located close to the Welipenna entrance, additional lanes have been built for vehicles to enter and depart very conveniently. The cost of the complex had been around Rs. 400 million.

We also had contrasting experiences with the police on the way. We were to collect some photographs of the Expressway for an official publication. Though we had a letter from the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development authorising us to photograph certain places in the City, the Expressway was not included in the list.

Realising this, as we entered the Expressway we explained to the OIC at Kottawa Interchange police station who accepted our word and told us that he would inform the stations on the way to help us. He told us that we could park at the police vehicle bays and take pictures.  

We stopped at the Dodangoda Interchange and told the OIC about the meeting with the OIC Kottawa. He was extremely cooperative and told his staff to help us take pictures. We walked quite a distance with their permission and took some photographs. They told us there were better locations on the way and to ease our task went out of their way to find copies of the Expressway guide prepared by the Road Development Authority (RDA). They gave the three of us English as well as Sinhala copies of the guide which proved very useful to identify suitable locations.

When we noticed an area with some nice views, we stopped at the next available police vehicle bay. While I stayed in the cart, the other two climbed a hillock on the same side of the road to get a good view of bends and greenery and take pictures.

Just then a police mobile unit arrived from the opposite direction and stopped their vehicle noticing our car. Three policemen crossed the road shouting us to move away. When we told them about our task, one of them straightaway asked us on whose authority we were there. We showed them the letter from the Defence Ministry and admitted that the Expressway was not mentioned in it.  He then asked us for our identity cards and pulled out the notebook and started jotting down details. He insisted that we had no right to be there and that the OIC at Kottawa had no jurisdiction in their area. He telephoned his OIC who spoke us to us and told us that we should have got permission from the RDA to take pictures.

We apologised for not following the procedures which we did not know. The cops told us that even the police could not give permission. Only the RDA could. They let us go after noting down whatever information they gathered warning us to get back without stopping anywhere to take pictures. We went up to Baddegama Interchange and turned back.

To pass on the lesson we learnt to anyone who intends taking pictures on the Expressway – remember to get permission from the Road Development Authority. Of course, you can click your camera if you are not driving hoping to pick a few good shots.