The Independence Memorial Hall in Sri Lanka

This monument was built at the site where the official ceremony to celebrate the beginning of self-rule was held, with Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, presiding over the first parliament session on a special platform on February 4, 1948. At the head of the monument stands a statue of the country's first Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Don Stephen Senanayake, the 'Father of the Nation.' This site has been used for almost all annual National Independence Day celebrations. Besides the monument, it also served as the ceremonial meeting hall for the Senate of Sri Lanka and the House of Representatives of Sri Lanka until the parliament was moved to the new Parliament Building.