Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum

Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum is located in Koggala, Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Named after the writer Martin Wickramasinghe, who had been considered as the father of modern Sinhala literature. The museum complex consists of Wickramasinghe's childhood home and a folk museum. It is also the location of the final resting place of Wickramasinghe, his wife and other family members.

Wickramasinghe was born in Koggala at his ancestral home and spent his childhood there, before settling in Colombo in his adultlife working as a journlist. The house along with much of the village of Koggala was taken over during the establishment of RAF Koggala in 1941. It was returned to Wickramasinghe in 1962 by the government of Sirima Bandaranaike. It was Wickramasinghe's hope that a folk museum and a library would be established there.^[1]

Following his death in 1976, the Martin Wickramasinghe Trust established that year to curate his personal papers, effects and books. The Trust began a collection of folk art and artifacts. The folk museum was established in 1981, with his house in Koggala converted into a museum dedicated to his life and work, and new buildings built to house the Trust's growing collection of artifacts from local folk life.^[1][2]

Located on the grounds is the Martin Wickramasinghe Samadiya where the ashes of Wickramasinghe and his wife Prema Wickramasinghe are buried. It is a grass covered mound to the right of the house, surmounted by a rock from the Koggala reef, where he had spent many hours of his childhood.^[3]

• Horagolla Bandaranaike Samadhi

• Official website of Martin Wickramasinghe – www.martinwickramasinghe.info
• Martin Wickramasinghe: Sri Lanka’s literary luminary
• LonelyPlanet: Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Art Museum

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Museums in Sri Lanka

National museums

• National Museum of Colombo
• National Museum of Kandy
• National Museum of Galle
• National Museum of Ratnapura

Department of Museums
(Subject)

• National Museum of Natural History
• Colombo Dutch Museum
• National Maritime Museum (Galle)
• Independence Memorial Museum
• Folk Museum (Anuradhapura)

Institutional subjects

• Ceylon Tea Museum
• Colombo Port Maritime Museum
• Economic History Museum
• Highway museum complex, Kiribathkumbura
• Hoods Tower Museum
• International Buddhist Museum
• J. R. Jayewardene Centre
• Maritime and Naval History Museum, Trincomalee
• Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum
• Masks Museum, Ambalangoda
• Museum of Temple of Tooth
• National railway museum, Kadugannawa
• Postal museum, Colombo
• Sri Lanka Air Force Museum
• S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike Museum
• Walisinghe Harischandra Museum
• Wax Museum (Sri Lanka)

Department of Archaeology
(Regional)

North Central Province	Anuradhapura Museum Mihintale Museum Veheragala Museum Isurumuniya Museum Tantirimale Museum
North Western Province	Panduwasnuwara Museum Puttalam Museum Rajanganaya Museum Yapahuwa Museum Dambadeniya Museum
Central Province	Kandy Royal Palace Museum Nalanda Museum Pidurangala Museum
Eastern Province	Batticaloa Museum Dighavapi Museum Seruwila Museum Welgam Vehera Museum
Western Province	Kotte Museum
Southern Province	Matara Star Fort Museum Yatala Museum Kasagala Museum Mulkirigala Museum
Northern Province	Jaffna Museum Vavuniya Museum
Uva Province	Buduruwagala Museum Maligawila Museum
Sabaragamuwa Province	Dedigama Museum