Pettah Floating Market

Pettah Floating Market
The Pettah Floating Markets are located on Bastian Mawatha in Pettah, a neighborhood in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and consist of 92 trade stalls, with a number of the stalls established on boats on Beira Lake. The floating market serves as a tourist attraction selling local produce and local handicraft.
The development of the floating market and beautification works were carried out by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) at a cost of Rs. 150 million. Engineering units from the Sri Lanka Army in collaboration with the Urban Development Authority transformed Bastian Street, the street linking the Central Bus Stand in Pettah and the Colombo Fort railway station, into a green environment. The Sri Lanka Navy rehabilitated the polluted canal running alongside Bastian Street. The unique simple architecture of the stalls along the canal, designed by Thushari Kariyawasam, with grey cemented floors and minimalistic décor, tries to reflect the calm and undisturbed water of lake.
The markets were officially opened by the Minister of Health, Maithripala Sirisena, on 25 August 2014.
One of the objectives of the development was to relocate unlicensed street vendors off the footpaths, particularly in congested areas like the Pettah, where they had no facilities and were forcing pedestrians onto the road. Priority was given to those traders who were impacted by the redevelopment on Bastian Street. Businesses however have struggled at the floating markets due to high rents and low sales.Traders have also criticised the open nature of the stalls and boats, which restrict their ability to secure their goods overnight. The UDA has advised that it will be undertaking promotional campaigns and improving accessibility to the area in an attempt to improve visitations to the area.

Overview

The Pettah Floating Market opened on the 25th of August to a lot of hype, and it’s worth it. The place is another part of Colombo’s fancy urban development plan along with Arcade Independence Square, but much more accessible to everyone. Colombo has never had such an amazing hangout space before, and it’s affordable.

The floating market is a series of pavilions constructed on the far end of the restored Beira lake between the Pettah bus station and the railway station. It’s supposed to include about 90 stalls in total – and when we visited, this included electronics, clothes, shoes, jewellery, short-eats, kottu, vegetables and fruits. It’s kind of the stuff you’d find at Majestic City, except you’re shopping next to this glorious lake.
Actually, forget about the shops and the food, what makes Pettah’s floating market so amazing, is the space itself. The pathways along the stalls are in warm wood and concrete, the tents and roofs are a clean red, and there are lovely benches at intervals alongside patches of grass and planned out trees.

Natural 10/10 ambience near sunset time, thanks to the open sky and gorgeous body of water (which even has a couple of fountains). It’s all very tastefully done and as far as I know, we’ve never had such a cool – and free – place to hang out at in the city.
These little traditional statuettes alongside one seating area were particularly striking, in faded bronze shades against a brick backdrop. You get big black stone plaques towards the west side that declare this space a part of the Mahinda Chinthana, and also beautiful fresh flower arrangements set up here and there.

While sitting anywhere here you might see a train pass by since the place is open to the railway tracks of the station next-door, which is pretty cool. On the weekend you can take a boat ride on the lake on the east end, in nice looking wooden boats too, not the crappy plastic type ones we boat-ride enthusiasts are used to.