Trinity College Chapel, Kandy
| Trinity College Chapel | |
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Trinity College Chapel
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Kandy, Sri Lanka |
| Geographic coordinates | 7°17′59″N 80°38′02″E / 7.29972°N 80.63389°ECoordinates: 7°17′59″N 80°38′02″E / 7.29972°N 80.63389°E |
| Affiliation | Anglican, Church of Ceylon |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Year consecrated | 3 March 1935 |
| Status | Active School Chapel |
| Website | trinitycollege |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Rev. L.J. Gaster |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Traditional Sinhalese |
| Groundbreaking | 1922 |
| Completed | 1935 |
The Trinity College Chapel ("Holy Trinity Church") in Kandy, Sri Lanka is one of the more distinctive church buildings in Sri Lanka. It is situated below the Principal's bungalow at Trinity College, Kandy. The chapel is one of the first and finest examples of the application of indigenous architecture in the design of an Anglican church in the country. The building is modelled on traditional Buddhist architecture, reminiscent of those found in Polonnaruwa, an ancient capital of Sri Lanka, in that it is an open building with a lofty hipped roof supported by numerous carved stone pillars.
In 1918 the school principal of Trinity College, Rev. Alexander Garden Fraser (1873-1962) commenced planning for the construction of a chapel, identifying a site within the school grounds. Rev. Fraser was the principal of Trinity College between 1904 and 1924. He played a pivotal role in the development of Trinity College from a small provincial school to a national college. The vice principal, Rev. Lewis John Gaster (1879-1939), who joined the school in 1910, a qualified architect and draughtsman, prepared the plans for the chapel. Gaster went on to become the principal at King's College in Uganda.
The foundation stone was laid by Foss Westcott, the Metropolitan of India, Burma and Ceylon on 19 August 1922, as part of the school's fiftieth anniversary celebrations. The original foundation stone of the chapel, was laid in front of the main hall, where the car park now stands and was later moved to the outside wall of the chapel, where it can still be seen today.
The construction of the chapel, which commenced in early 1923 and took over twelve years to complete, was overseen by staff members, Mr. K.L.B. Tennekoon and Mr. H.W. Mediwake.
During construction nearly a 100 craftsman and laborers were employed. In 1929 the side chapel was the first section to be completed. David Paynter, OBE (1900-1975), a staff member of the college painted the first mural on the southern wall of the side chapel in 1928. In 1930 the side chapel was dedicated as the "Chapel of the Light of the World".
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