Marikkar Family

About the Marikkars

The Marikkar family of Kandy who originated from Moorish beginnings, can trace its Sri Lankan origins back to the reign of the Kandyan Sinhala king, Rajasinghe II of Senkadagala (1635-1687). It has been documented that the daughter of king Rajasinghe II’s brother Kumarasinghe, married a Marikkar. Thus, the family was given the royal “ge” name “Galagaha Vidanalage Gedara” and king Rajasinghe’s niece was referred to as “Galagaha Vidanalage Gedara Seeelawathi Kumarihami“. The 20th century patriarch of the Marikar family, M.A.S. Marikkar, established the law firm of “Marikkar & Marikkar” located in Kandy. The family tree in this website begins with his father, S.M.L. Marikkar, who was a representative of the governor of Ceylon, Sir Henry Arthur Blake (1840-1918).

In recognition of his services to the community, Ismail Marikkar was honoured with the appointment by the Governor of Ceylon in August 1908 as the Grama Aarachchi and was also entrusted to perform to police duties in the Galgoda Korale covering the villages of Kirindadeniya, Hingul Oya, Uyanwatte, Delgahagoda and Mawanella, a wide area covering over 50 square miles.

Mawanella is a very large town situated 56 miles away from Colombo between Kegalle and 7 miles to Kandy Mawanella serves as a hub for many satellite towns with a population of more than 50,000 in the area. Mawanella is famous for Maha Oya River and the home for Sarediel-Sri Lanka’s Robin Hood. It is a multi cultural and multi ethnic town with Buddhist Temples , Mosques, Kovils and Churches. Mawanella boasts of many prominent National schools and has produced many scholars.

A M S Marikkar – Sheriff Marikkar Justice of Peace, Voluntary Social Worker, Chair of the Mawanella Village Council was born to a wealthy family of land owners in the Town of Mawanella on the road to Kandy (7 miles from Kandy) and 7 miles from Kegalle. He was the son of prominent family of Madige Maha Muhandiramlage Ismail Marikkar who was appointed by the Governor of Ceylon in 1908 as the Village Head Man to do Police Duties in the wide area of several villages covering an area of Kiringadeniya, Hingula, Uyanwatte, Hinguloya, Ganethenna, Hemathagama and Mawanella.

Sheriff                         Elder brother Rahman

Justice of Peace       Peace Officer