Whist Bungalow of Modera - Faded and forgotten

Whist Bungalow (Pic Courtesy of www.defonseka.com)

The Modara we know today is a congested residential area with narrow roads and alleyways. Passing by, one would not think there is much to know about the place. However Modara or Mutwal was once home to the elite in Colombo. The place was once described as the abode of the rich. The ‘Kurunduwatta’ of the yesteryears is steeped in history where the socialites of the upper class attended extravagant and exclusive soirées.

This year ‘Colomboscope’ organized jointly by the Geothe Institute, British Council, and Alliance Française was held at Whist Bungalow, a mansion where once the glitterati of Modara gathered for fancy dinner parties. A nineteenth century stately home modeled on neoclassical style, is located in Modara north of Colombo along the coast. Today unimaginatively renamed ‘Pradeepa Hall’ it is virtually unknown among the citizenry of Colombo.

However Whist Bungalow was once home to prominent and influential figures in society. Whist is said to have been built around 1804 according to Debbie Phillips a descendant of one of the owners of the house. This is thought as the bungalow is mentioned in 1807 in the book A Description of Ceylon by James Cordiner. German Ernst Haeckel in is book A visit to Ceylon speaks of an exclusive gentleman’s club of 12 which gathered to play Whist cards to escape from orthodox English Sundays at the mansion. While the first owners name is unknown, according to Debbie Phillips it could have been Hans Augustus Marshall the 1st Auditor General of Ceylon. While Justice Henry Byrne a Judge of the Supreme Court also could have been an owner of the mansion as an official government party hosted by him at the Whist Bungalow was mentioned in a government gazette.

Perhaps two of the most noteworthy residents of the house are Sir Francis Morgan and Selina Louisa Elizabeth de Soysa. Sir Richard Francis Morgan was the fifth owner of the bungalow. Sir Francis was at the fore front of the political scene at the time. A student of the first batch of Royal College, Colombo which was then called the Colombo Academy; he became the first district judge in 1866 and was the first non-European to be appointed to such a position. He was knighted in 1874, which was another first for Sri Lanka. He was also the crown advocate that prosecuted famed bandit Saradiel.

Sir Richard Morgan spent a large part of his fortune in extending the bungalow and creating a magnificent garden which was said to be spread across 18 acres of land. It is this new building probably built around the middle of the 19th century that stands to date.

Another prominent occupier of the house Selina Louisa Elizabeth de Soysa is in fact the first woman to exhibit with the Ceylon Arts Society. She was an avid painter proved by pictures of her surrounded by her works which was taken at the bungalow. 

Today the property is owned by the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) and perhaps is kept alive by residents of the area by using it for their weddings and other functions. However the Whist today is only a shadow of its former glory.