Scenic Police Mounted Division Kandy - මහනුවර පොලිස් අශ්වාරෝහක කොට්ටාශය

For decades dedicated policemen and their horses have sustained the British traditions of mounted policing, upholding the dignity and decorum associated with the Mounted Division. Needless to say, the robust horses are appreciated by the young and old as they engage in their routine traffic duties in the Fort, Pettah and Galle Face area. My interest with this unique Police division goes back to my teenage years. I was honoured to have known the late DIG Gamini Jayasinghe, one of its most dedicated officers. He performed a great service to the Mounted Division. Much has not changed at the division’s main stable located in the busy area of Mihindu Mawatha, amidst the noise of the city’s traffic.

This area with its vintage charm is a refreshing sanctuary which I visit often to find solace with my four legged friends - thoroughbred horses from the Netherlands and Australia. The stables of the Police Mounted Division are a living legend, and this unit is one of the oldest in the entire Police Service. Horses were initially got down to Ceylon as ‘official transport’ for senior Police officers in the pioneer days of the service. Columns of horses marching in solemn formation, are a spectacular sight we witness on Independence Day. How do these majestic animals and their robust riders prepare for the parade? The entire division becomes intensely busy, as they prepare for their first practice days prior to the main Independence Day State Parade. Horses are reassigned to the Colombo stables from the regional Police stables at Nuwara Eliya and Kandy. The animals are safely moved in air conditioned trucks travelling to reach Colombo City. Temporary stalls are allocated to the visiting horses. The clatter of heavy hooves and snorting fills the air. Keeping a check on all this parade readiness is Officer-in-Charge of the Colombo stables.