When, in the early part of the 20th century the then Principal Rev. A.G. Fraser wanted to have a Chapel for the School, a site which the boys at that time used as a cricket field was selected as the most appropriate. It turned out to be the most beautiful building site in the College. The construction of the chapel, which commenced in early 1923 and took over twelve years to complete. The Chapel was formally dedicated on 3 March 1935. The School’s history tells us that there has been much discussion and debate as to design of the new Chapel. Mr. Gaster, the Vice Principal who was a qualified Architect and Draughtsman produced a model for the chapel based on our own ancient architectural heritage. He did in fact prepare all the plans for “a building that had not been attempted for centuries.” He had been inspired by the ruins of Polonnaruwa and the great kings of that past era who were men of vision and purpose. Mr. Gaster, in a speech made to old boys, expressed his desire to inculcate into the students of Trinity this vision, purpose and the power of accomplishment. The College had no money whatever but yet set out with the project: building the chapel was indeed a great act of faith, and it took half a century to complete. There was a dire need for funds and the staff of that time (many of who had come from the UK) went back to their own University Colleges and Schools to ask for donations.  Schools and Colleges in England that contributed the princely sum of Rs 1000 (just 5 Pounds sterling at present conversion rates) or more have their College Crest engraved on the inner face of the pillars. The Chapel consists of 54 granite pillars, each intricately carved with a different design though they look similar.  They were all individually brought to Trinity from the quarry by elephant. The pillars are capped with intricately carved pekadas made of “gammalu”, described as the hardest hard wood. Artisans, carvers and craftsmen were found from various parts of the country as well as India to undertake this job. The murals of the Chapel were painted by David Paynter one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated artists and himself an old boy of Trinity. One of the staff members closely associated with the construction of the chapel from its inception was K. B. Tennekoon who’s vivid account appears in the Centenary Number published in 1972. Former Vice Principal, Paul Jeyaraj having written a “Brief History of the Chapel” states: “Actual constructions commenced in 1923 and according to the plans drawn up, the building had to be constructed in granite stone of grey colour from ground level to the top level of the pillars and walls. The stone of required colour and in sufficient quantity was located in Aruppola. This had to be split into blocks 18 feet long by three feet square and each block weighing about three tonnes had to be transported to college after which they were to be dressed and carved. Fifty four such blocks were required for the pillars on which the chapel was to stand. Above the pillars that were carved by local and South Indian craftsmen are the pillar heads. Timber for this had to be obtained and it came from Mawanella and from Kekirawa. The sawn timber had to be turned into shape by skillful carpenters and wood carvers who did the exquisite carvings of the Pekadas, Pekada beams, doors and window frames in the chapel. The timber work in the college chapel ranks in the same class as the wood carvings that are to be found in the Embekke Devale in the Gampola District belonging to the Kandyan period. The side chapel was the first to be completed and that was by the end of 1929 and David Paynter who was on the staff of Trinity at that time painted his first mural on its southern wall. The side chapel was dedicated in 1930 as the Chapel of the Light of the World.” 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 ORGINAL PLAN Gaster’s drawings allowed for a flat ceiling, like that to be seen in the chancel, and galleries for Choir and organ. Financial and engineering considerations made it difficult for this work to be carried out. Some indeed like the soaring Kandyan roof as it is. Gaster intended the Chancel to be empty, with no piano or Choir. The Chancel steps do indeed run the width of the chancel; they have been partially concealed to make room for the Choir stalls. An open church set in such beautiful surroundings is a great inspiration for worship; but it made the congregational singing difficult, and the way around the problem was to accommodate the Choir in the chancel.   Finally, after 50 years of dedicated efforts, the Chapel was completed when the School celebrated its centenary in 1972, due to the untiring efforts of men of vision and faith. They translated their dreams into reality with the help of dedicated local craftsmen who revived ancient Sri Lankan skills not practised on such a scale for literally centuries. They created something inspiring for Trinitians old, young and yet to be born. For all of us, whether Christian or not, the Chapel stands as a symbol of all the core values we acquire whilst at Trinity. “Almighty Father, we thank Thee for the lives and examples of all who in ages past have lavished riches and beauty upon holy temples and shrines: we thank Thee for the goodly heritage that we owe

At the time when most Europeans were content to build churches in their own Gothic style, Gaster deliberately sought inspiration from the local Sinhalese architecture. Prototypes for the Church are to be found at the Royal Audience Hall, Magul Maduwa (Celebration Hall), of the Kingdom of Kandy (built in 1783 by Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha) and the 14th century Embekka Devalaya Shrine near Kandy. The first example of the use of traditional architectural design in Christian churches, also involved both Rev. Fraser and Rev. Gaster was the chapel at the Peradeniya Training Colony, however similar to the Magul Maduwa and the Embekka Shrine the pillars of this chapel are made of wood. The murals done by David Paynter on the walls of the Chapel are regarded as unique examples of Christian art in Asia, painted as they are on the bare surface of the granite walls. Local scenery and local models were used to depict biblical stories in order to give them an indigenous character and contemporary validity. Here was an effort to present Christ and Christian values in a local context when others would have been content to imitate styles and models from the West. The lectern was installed in its present position in 1967. The work on the bell tower was started in 1965 and completed in 1969 and it was dedicated to the memory of Rev. John McCleod Campbell D.D who was principal of Trinity from 1924 to 1935 and in whose time the chapel was constructed and dedicated.   THE PILLARS The creation of the stone pillars were supervised by Mr. K.L. Siripala, a famous stonemason of the time, to be shaped and carved. Other stone carvers were also brought to Sri Lanka especially for the purpose of carving the pillars for the chapel. The carvings on the windows of the side of the chapel were done by local craftsmen. The fifty four pillars are made of granite quarried in Aruppola, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) away. Some, in the chancel, are built in sections, but most have been hewn out of single blocks (5.5 metres (18 ft) long and 0.9 metres (3.0 ft) square), each of which weighing about 3 metric tons (3.0 t) before carving. The blocks were then hauled up to the college on a trolley by a pair of elephants. The first pillars to be erected, those by the pulpit and the south entrance, were fully carved at the quarry before being transported. The remainder were carved at the site of the chapel. Each pillar is 4.9 metres (16 ft) in height and 0.6 metres (2.0 ft) square, they are square based and square capped, with a gently tapering stem, octagonal in shape. The capitals on ten of the pillars facing the nave are carved with the coats of arms of those British schools and colleges, which made financial donations towards the cost of the chapel. The pillars are surmounted by four pekadas, made of a tough local wood called Gummalu. Each pekada, designed by Mr Bezalel Navaratne, when viewed from below, has been carved to represent an inverted lotus. Many of the beams which the pillars support were also carved by local craftsman. (Pekada (Sinhala: පේකඩ), or pekadaya, are the decorative wooden pillar heads/brackets at the top of a stone or wooden column (or a pilaster), known as kapa, supporting a beam or dandu. It is a unique feature of Kandyan architecture.)   THE ROOF The roof of the chapel is in the style of a traditional Kandy-style double pitched roof. It starts at a height of 6 metres (20 ft) and peaks at a height of 16.75 metres (55.0 ft) above the central aisle. In 1954 the original corrugated zinc roof sheets were replaced with calicut tiles, during the course of the re-roofing the murals above the pulpit and lectern are badly damaged. Paynter subsequently repainted these murals, completing the work in 1957.   THE SIDE CHAPEL The side chapel, entered from the north transept, was named by the then principal, Rev. McLeod Campbell as “the Chapel of the Light of the World”. It was the first part of the chapel to be completed and was formally dedicated on 23 March 1930. Notice, as you enter, the intricate carving of the door frame; consisting of typical Kandyan work. The whole of the south wall of this chapel is covered with an early painting by David Paynter depicting the ‘Mother of James and John making a request to Jesus on behalf of her two sons.’ The chapel is rich in stone and wood carving. The screen and the grape and the chalice design on the altar were both made by local craftsman from the original drawings by Gaster. The windows are typical Kandyan, the vertical bars are made of wood and painted with lacquer. The grill on the east was carved locally from a slab of Swedish green marble, like the grills on the sanctuary of the main chapel.   THE CARVINGS IN WOOD The chapel contains many fine wood carvings, the work of local Sinhalese craftsmen recruited and directed by H.W. Mediwake. On the beams: At the West entrance – the Bherunda Pakshiya and fish (matsaya). At the North entrance – Peacock. Near the South entrance – the pot of prosperity (Pun-kalasa). In the side chapel – Serapendiya, lion, two entangled swans (hamsa puttuwa). In the chancel – parrot, squirrels, swan, two entangled swans, vine (liya vela). Above the picture of the Crucifixion there are three angels entwined in a vine. On the pekadas: The basic design is the lotus, but the pine-apple is also to be seen at the North entrance, and the face of a lion (kibihi muhuna) near the South entrance. On the screen and door of side chapel: Serapendiya, Scissors flower, lotus petals: jasmine flowers (pichcha mala) on the screen. On the priests’ desks: Swan, peacock, elephant and lion. On the lectern: note the jasmine pattern.   THE CARVINGS IN STONE Many traditional Sinhalese floral and animal

The four murals were the work of the Sri Lankan artist David Paynter, once a member of the staff. Like the chapel itself, they were revolutionary when conceived, in that they portrayed biblical stories a Sri Lankan setting. Apart from the beauty of the paintings in their own right, what makes them particularly unusual is the representation of Christ himself. He is seen as short haired and clean shaven: very Sri Lankan in fact!   ARE YE ABLE – located in the Side Chapel This mural was painted in 1928, shortly after Paynter had returned from studying art in Europe. It conveys something of a lush vegetarian characteristic of parts of Sri Lanka which so impressed him on his return from Italy. In it, the mother of James and John kneels before Jesus of Nazareth, who is clothed in a yellow robe, and asks him to give her two sons, standing on either side of Jesus, the chief places in his kingdom. He offers them instead the way of humility and the privilege of suffering: “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink?” There can be no crown without a cross. (Matthew 20:20)   THE CRUCIFIXION – located above the altar In this mural, painted in 1933, Paynter has set the crucifixion, with a beardless Christ on a cross. The backdrop for the crucifixion is a location in north eastern part of Sri Lanka near Trincomalee; the hills of Sri Lanka are too green to suggest the loneliness and desolation of that first Good Friday. The Man from Nazareth who dies, weighed down by the sin of the whole world, belongs to East and West. The penitent thief on the right is a lad of eighteen; he might be a Trinity boy. He has just heard those wonderfully reassuring words from the lips of Jesus: “Today thou shalt be with Me in Paradise” and he looks up in hope. (Luke 23:43)   THE GOOD SAMARITAN – located above the pulpit Depicting the parable of the Good Samaritan, this mural was painted in 1957, replacing an earlier version on the same subject. The mural shows a member of a despised race, a Samaritan, goes to the help of a wounded Jew lying by the roadside, after members of his own race and religion (a priest included) have ‘passed by on the other side.’ The love of Christ breaks down all barriers.   WASHING THE DISCIPLES’ FEET – located above the lectern The mural was painted in 1965, replaced an earlier one on the same subject that was damaged when the roof of the chapel was replaced. The mural depicts a building of simple Kandyan design with Sri Lankan countryside behind. All the faces (other than that of Jesus himself) were modelled on members of the Trinity staff at the time.   We assume that special considerations were made when choosing specific incidents from the Bible for the Mural paintings of the Chapel. In fact, the qualities of being humble and generous is shown through the parable of the Good Samaritan while the mural of Jesus washing the feet of His Disciples depicts serving one another in lowliness of heart and mind, seeking to build one another up in humility and love. It is evident that the Chapel shines as a beacon of Light to boys of many generations at Trinity.

Construction of the Bell Tower commenced in 1965, with the donation of ten slabs by Barney Raymond, an Old Boy. During the years the tower continued its slow growth and it continually added to the beauty of the Chapel, it was the last construction to be completed.  We have been fortunate to obtain slabs of marble for the grilles of the tower windows and the slow painstaking task of carving the grilles to the same design is remarkable (A task which took a skilled artisan four months for each grille). The Tower was dedicated on the 8 December 1969, in memory of Rev. Cannon John McLeod Campbell, by Rt. Rev. Lakdasa De Mel, the First Bishop of Kurunegala. The bell was received from a parish church in Hemsby in 1971. The Vestry door, leading to the tower, has a door-frame in stone, matching the one in wood leading to the side chapel. Included in the design are the Serapendiya, the scissors flower (Katura mala) and a sequence of lotus petals (pala pethi). The tower is in three compartments, with the ground floor used as the vestry. The middle compartment is a storage space where spare lamps, roof tiles and other chapel accessories are kept. The topmost compartment is used for the bell,  fixed using four iron bars and a wheel fixed to a roller from which the bell hangs. A rope which drops down to the vestry is connected to the wheel. Top of the tower is structured to an open view with 12 small granite pillars –  three standing on each of the four corners of the tower. It is interesting to note that the pillars aren’t carved. The ‘pekada‘ (lotus pendent bracket capitals of the Kandyan era) wood pieces fixed to each pillar are also not fully carved. The top of the tower gives a full majestic view of the Hanthana mountain range and Bahirawakanda area. The roof of the tower also includes a plywood ceiling. The magnificent vestry doors are made of ‘gammalu‘, a timber used only for sacred buildings; this timber was gifted to us by Mr C. Darmaratnam, an old boy of the school. The door handles and the fittings were another gift from an anonymous donor who used the Chapel for worship. The stone around the vestry door has been adorned with magnificent stone carvings of the Kandyan era such as the carving of ‘Kesara Sinha‘ on the lowermost corners of the vestry door, and also the carvings of ‘Hansa‘ above it. To all intents and purposes, the power and beauty of the lovely tower was ready to be offered to God, a poem in stone for God’s glory. The tower having being completed in 1970, for which Mr C. J. Oorloff was chiefly instrumental in building, was dedicated to Rev John Mcleod Campbell who was the Principal of College from 1924-1935 and is a prominent character in the history of Trinity.   The bell from a church in Hemsby, Norfolk, England The bell tower having being built in the chapel lacked a church bell which was of grave importance, and so Rev Humphrey Whistler, who was the chaplain during that time told his nephew Rev Humphrey Squire about the College’s need for a bell. In 1970 Rev Squire visited Hemsby while on a holiday and found three bells on the floor of St. Mary the Virgin parish church which were dated 1660. The vicar told that the bells were never likely to be hung again in Hemsby asked Rev Squire to choose the biggest one of the three which were resting there on the floor. It is said that the parish has given it to us as a ‘missionary present from the people of Hemsby‘. It is estimated that this bell to be 359 years old.   Following is a recording of the Chapel bell, rung before the start of an evening service: