(By Tsem Rinpoche)

Brief Garden is a hidden paradise in Kalawila Village, located approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) from the resort town of Bentota in Sri Lanka. The garden and the house on the estate was the residence of the famous architect and landscape designer, Bevis William Frederick Bawa (Bevis Bawa) (1909 – 1992). Bevis Bawa was also a military officer by profession, and he served as the personal secretary (Aide-de-camp) to four Governors of Ceylon (the present day Sri Lanka) during the British colonial era.

Brief Garden is a delight for those who love nature. When visitors walk into the garden, they will be able to enjoy the jungle feel of the garden and its unique sculptures. The house on the estate is cosy and comfortable. Bevis Bawa built the premise with care and the intention to make it his retirement home.

During his heyday, Bevis Bawa had hosted several high-profile visitors such as Vivian Leigh, Lawrence Olivier, and Agatha Christie in this estate. In addition, the house was frequented by many Sri Lankan artists that included Barbara Sansoni, Vajira, Chitrasena, Ena de Silva, and Laki Senanayake. Donald Friend (1915 – 1989), an Australian artist, visited the place with the intention to stay for one week but ended up staying for almost six years. Please continue to read this interesting post. Sri Lanka is a magical and beautiful country.

Tsem Rinpoche

History

The statues at the entrance gates were created by Donald Friend, the Australian artist who stayed at Brief Garden for almost six years.

In 1929, when he was 20 years old, Bevis Bawa came to Kalawila Village to manage his family 2 ha (4.9 acres) rubber plantation, Brief Estate. The name Brief Estate was given because his father, who was a successful lawyer, bought the estate after a successful legal brief. When managing Brief Estate, Bevis Bawa decided to build his home in the area although at the time the estate did not have running electricity. He then began to sell part of the estate and used the income to build his house and garden. Bevis Bawa changed the name of the premise from Brief Estate to Brief Garden.

Not long after he came to Kalawila Village, Bevis Bawa joined the army, and he started to develop the garden and the house at the same time. After retiring from his military post, Bevis Bawa made Brief Garden his permanent home. It took him 40 years to complete this masterpiece. The house and the garden were finally completed in 1970, and two years later, Bevis Bawa was requested to open the premise to the public. As Brief Garden’s popularity grew, Bevis Bawa began to receive commissions to design the landscapes of foreign embassies, public buildings and private houses in Sri Lanka.

Bevis Bawa bequeathed Brief Garden to his trusted friend and head gardener, Dooland De Silva, upon his passing in 1992.

Bevis Bawa in front of the Japanese Moon Gate at Brief Garden.

The Garden

Brief Garden is a reflection of Bevis Bawa’s personalities. In various articles and periodicals, he has been described as unruly, casual, felicitous, bon vivant, and romantic. As you enter Brief Garden, the exotic and lush jungle feel greet you. You are transported to a different universe that is unique but intimate and comforting. You find yourself walking through various narrow pathways in the midst of tropical forest which suddenly lead you to a staircase, a pond, a patio, a piece of unique sculpture, open spaces, stone steps, or bathing fountain that enhance the aesthetic of the place.

Each turn or passage brings you to various breathtaking vistas or the secret alcoves where you can read your books without interruption or admire the garden in peace. According to David Robson, the author of Bawa: The Sri Lanka Gardens, “Brief is introspective, … a series of outdoor rooms with almost no views toward the outside. … decorative [and] … eclectic.” Brief Garden is also filled with unique sculptures. Many of these sculptures were made by Bevis Bawa himself or one of his artists’ friends. Visitors are also able to see exotic birds, monkeys, and rare species of plants/ flowers.

During his lifetime, Bevis Bawa employed 15 gardeners to maintain the beauty of the garden.

The beautiful Japanese Moon Gate that leads to a secret garden.

Another perspective of the Japanese Moon Gate.

The raised stones with leaf shapes imprinted on them.

Bat orchid, one of the rare flower species at Brief Garden.

One of the open spaces at Brief Garden.

A round-shaped pond at Brief Garden.

Another pond at Brief Garden located near the house’s back patio.

A sculpture encroached with leaves.

The garden is filled with sculptures that merge perfectly with their surrounding. Many of these sculptures were made by Bevis Bawa himself.

The stairs that lead visitors to another delightful vista.

The House

An uniquely-shaped tree in front of the house.

Bevis Bawa’s house is located on the highest part of the estate to enable those who are inside the house to look at the entire garden and beyond. The house is beautiful, but cosy and comfortable. There is no sense of pompousness although this was the place where Bevis Bawa entertained many of his high profile guests. White bougainvillea concealed the roof of the entrance, and the main gates open to a large bamboo-hedged space that served as a car park. Just like the garden, the house is decorated with the artworks of Bevis Bawa and his artist friends such as Edward Scott, George Bevan, George Keyt Russell Drysdale, Rachel Southerner, and Donald Friend. Most of the artworks in the house were gifts from his friends. Bevis Bawa had never intended to become an art collector, and he was not attached to the monetary value of his possession. During one of the interviews, he mentioned that “He has no pride of possession.”

Dooland de Silva remembers that Bevis Bawa liked to enjoy his magnificent garden from the patio while attending to his work.

The house has many windows that create an open and airy environment. The windows also enable the residents of the house to enjoy the beautiful view outside.

The front patio

The house is decorated with terracotta tiles, and part of the outer walls are painted in soft apricot colour.

The back patio

Another perspective of the back patio.

An open-air bath tub at the back garden.

A mirror embedded on the wall above a concrete bench.

The cosy and comfortable living room.

The house’s walls are decorated with many artworks created by Bevis Bawa and his artistic friends.

The elegant and simple dining room.

Visiting Brief Garden

Address:
Brief Garden Kalawila Village
Beruwala 12070
Sri Lanka

Phone: +94 77 350 9290
Opening hours: 8 AM – 5 PM
Entrance fee: LKR 1,000

How To Get There

If you are visiting Brief Garden from Colombo, you can take Galle Road heading to Alutgama. At Alutgama junction, turn left and pass through the town of Dharga. Please be careful, as there are many cyclists and pedestrians when you go through this predominantly Muslim town. After passing the town, turn left at the junction that is marked by a signboard with the word “Brief” written in red letters. After following the road for approximately 2 km (1.24 mi), you will see another signboard with the words “Brief Short Cut” written on it. Turn right, and drive through the road that ends at Brief Garden.

Accommodation

Visitors can stay in the nearby town of Bentota. Be aware that many hotels in Bentota lie just a few metres from the railway track. Visitors may find the frequency of the trains disruptive to sleep. Check the hotel’s proximity to the railway track before booking. Below are just some of the several places available. It is recommended that you do further research to find accommodation that is suitable for your needs.

1. Chami Villa Bentota

The hotel offers seven furnished bedroom and one apartment.

Address:
23 Pitaramba
Bentota 80500, Sri Lanka
Phone: +94 779744265
Website: http://www.chamivillabentota.com

2. Village Headman’s Bungalow

The colonial-style bungalow offers 4 bedrooms and modern amenities.

Address:
Gonagala Pura, Bentota, Bentota 80500, Sri Lanka
Phone: +94 34 2 274466
Website: http://www.vhbbentota.com

About Bevis Bawa

The young Bevis Bawa.

Major Bevis William Frederick Bawa, ADC, CLI, was born on 26 April 1909 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. His father was Benjamin William Bawa (1865 – 1923), a prominent lawyer of Muslim and English descent, and his mother was Bertha Marianne née Schrader (1876 – 1946), who was of Sinhalese, German, and Scottish descent. His brother, Geoffrey Bawa (1919 – 2003) was ten years his junior and would later become an award-winning architect who designed Sri Lanka’s House of Parliament.

Bevis Bawa attended the Royal College of Colombo, but he was not doing well at his study. According to Richard Simon who interviewed Bevis Bawa in 1991, he was “…academically impossible, incurably artistic, and quite unbearably honest.” The headmaster suggested him to go to England to study art instead, but Bevis Bawa rejected the idea because he was of the opinion that “art cannot be taught – you either have it in you or you don’t.” Bevis had to terminate his study upon his father’s sudden passing in 1923. His mother, Bertha, sent him to his uncle’s estates to be trained in the skills related to plantation and estate management.

Bevis Bawa and his younger brother Geoffrey Bawa.

In 1929, the 20-year-old Bevis Bawa was sent to Kalawila Village to take over the management of Brief Estate, and not long after he joined the army. Bevis Bawa became the Second Lieutenant of the Ceylon Light Infantry, the Ceylon Defence Force’s military reserve regiment. Bevis Bawa admitted that he joined the army “to see if I was a gentleman, knew how to hold my fork properly and so forth.” Bevis Bawa managed very well in the army. He was promoted to the rank of Captain and later, Major. He served as Aide-de-camp to Governor Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs (1876 – 1947), Governor Sir Andrew Caldecott (1884 – 1951), Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore (1887 – 1964), and Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury (1887 – 1971).

Bevis Bawa was a tall, handsome, soft-spoken man. who had a tremendous love for his garden and cars. During his younger day, he was considered as one of the most eligible bachelors in the Colombo’s society. However, he decided that marriage was too respectable for him and continued to maintain his bachelor status. He retired from the army in 1950 to pursue his artistic interest in landscaping and designing.

Between the 1950s and 1960’s, Bevis Bawa wrote a series of articles for the Ceylon Daily News, titled “Briefly by Bevis.” In these articles, he wrote about his passion for landscaping and gardening, as well as informative observations, anecdotes and entertaining judgements from his day-to-day experience. His general recollections of the governors he had served were favourable, although he had a less complimentary opinion on Sir Reginald Stubbs’s sense of fashion. He wrote, “I often wondered if he went to bed with his tie, waist-coat, and shoes on.” His articles, Briefly by Bevis, became very popular that they were moved from the Daily News to a more prominent place on the Sunday Observer. However, he had made it clear that he “wished to hurt no-one [with his writing]… but he himself was the butt of his own fun.”

Bevis Bawa in his old age.

Bevis Bawa was known as a gracious host. He held many parties on Poya (full moon) weekends at his house for the members of the art community (e.g., actors, actresses, artists, theater people, etc.) and other high profiles personalities.

In 1991, one year before his death, Bevis Bawa’s body was declining. He had lost his eyesight and was confined to a wheelchair. However, despite his physical limitation, he had no difficulties in putting his visitors at ease. His blindness did not bother him as much. He said, “I’ve always been a claustrophobe – had a dread of being buried alive and all that. I thought blindness would be like that too, but it isn’t dark at all – you’re always seeing pictures, pictures of the past, and pictures of things that had never happened. I play them back like a film; I live in the past all the time now.” Friends continued to visit him from Colombo and abroad. Bevis was always happy to receive them. Bevis Bawa passed away of old age on 18 September 1992 at the age of 83 years old.

Brief Garden: The House & Garden of Bevis Bawa

Do watch the video below to enjoy the visual delight from the beautiful Brief Garden.

Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/BriefGarden.mp4

Sources:

• http://www.traveldiaries.asia/brief-gardens-sri-lankas-best-kept-secret/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bevis_Bawa
• https://www.gardendesign.com/abroad/sri-lanka.html
• https://www.gardendesign.com/abroad/sri-lanka.html
• http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110529/Plus/plus_06.html
• https://www.inspirock.com/sri-lanka/beruwala/brief-garden-bevis-bawa-a766306885
• http://artnlight.blogspot.my/2016/12/bevis-bawas-brief-gardens.html
• http://infolanka.com/discover/bevis/
• https://www.lonelyplanet.com/sri-lanka/bentota-aluthgama-induruwa/attractions/brief-garden/a/poi-sig/1194828/357500

For more interesting information:

• Wonderful Sri Lanka
• Giritale, Sri Lanka (site of the replica Avukana Buddha)
• Gal Vihara: The Stone Temple of Sri Lanka
• Avalokiteshvara in Sri Lanka
• Kechara Visits Findhorn!
• Build Your Own Growroom
• Life In The Trees: A House Tour

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