“We never saw the house,” confesses Kumar Sangakkara, the cricket commentator and former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team, as we sit in his holiday home in Galle. Before he bought the house on Leyn Baan Street, he’d only seen it from the outside. “But we had walked the Fort, knew the area so well and knew the location,” explains his wife, Yehali. It may have been a blind buy, but it was a serendipitous leap of faith in many ways.
The couple wandered through Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for seven years, looking for the perfect property. It had been a dream to own a house within the Fort—a natural fit for the Sangakkara family, who are ardent beach enthusiasts and love the gentle energy that hums through the area. “We love surfing—the kids have got into it too. Our favourite place is Wijaya Beach and we spend a lot of time there,” shares Yehali.
The last decade has seen a tourism boom on the paisley-shaped island. And Galle hits a geographical sweet spot—easily accessible from Colombo and in proximity to beautiful beaches along the coast. The historical Fort city is now a meeting point of the old and new, where villas, hotels, restaurants and shops filled with touristy paraphernalia rub shoulders with the original residents.
SLICE OF HISTORY
The Sangakkaras wanted their holiday home to retain its historical integrity but also stray from the archetypal villa found within the Fort. “We wanted people to be a bit surprised. We always said it would be a little like Marmite—people will either love it or hate it when they walk in,” says Kumar.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Breathe In, Breathe Out
A powerful tool to help you master your nervous system or another biohacking buzzword? SIMONE DHONDY explores the inhalations and exhalations of breathwork
Red Pill, Blue Pill
India's nutraceutical industry is booming thanks to advanced technology, distrust of the medical system and rising vanity. With multivitamins becoming purer and more effective, NIDHI GUPTA finds out if supplements have become the new serum
Sign of the times
No longer do you need to have an answer to, \"What is the significance of this?\" when people point to your new tattoo. ARMAN KHAN discovers that everything is on the table when you get inked temporarily
Return to form
Watching the world's most elite athletes deliver the best performances of their careers rekindled SONAKSHI SHARMA's own love for sports
Dimple, All Day
YOU MAY HAVE WATCHED HER ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR OVER FIVE DECADES, BUT DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF ASSUMING THAT YOU KNOW DIMPLE KAPADIA.
MUSIC, TAKE CONTROL
As someone who had always sought safety in numbers, ALIZA FATMA often wondered what her own company would feel like. The answer arrived unexpectedly when she attended her first-ever music festival, one of the largest in the world, all alone
Let it grow
When we think of hardworking farmers toiling in India's scorching heat, we often think of men, the sweat on their brow, the sinews in their arms. JYOTI KUMARI speaks to four women who are championing the invisible female labour that keeps these fields running
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
When armless archer Sheetal Devi set her sights on the Paralympic Games this year, she knew she had a tough journey ahead of her. Luckily, her mother was with her every step of the way.
Beauty and the feast
The appeal of Indian weddings has always been in a sprawling spread. For additional bragging rights, Aditi Dugar recommends going beyond designer tablecloths and monogrammed napkins.
Sweet serendipity
From a scavenger hunt-inspired proposal to a Moroccan-themed baraat, Malvika Raj and Armaan Rai's love story prioritised playfulness throughout their blended celebrations.
