Kurunegala is the capital of the
North Western Province, Sri LankaNorth Western Province is a province of Sri Lanka. The districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam formulate Wayamba. Its capital is Kurunegala, which has a population of 28,571. The province is known mainly for its numerous coconut plantations. Other main towns in this province are Chilaw and Puttalam...
,
Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and the
Kurunegala DistrictKurunegala is a district in North Western Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 4,771 km²....
. Kurunegala was also an ancient royal capital for 50 years, from the end of the 13th century to the start of the 13th century. The town itself is a busy commercial and a transport hub. Kurunegala is located at the junction of several main roads linking to other important parts of the country. It is situated about 94 km from
ColomboColombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, and 42 km from
KandyKandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
.
Located at an altitude of 116 meters above sea level, Kurunegala is surrounded by coconut plantations and rubber estates. There are eight very noticeable large rocks that encircle and dominate the city. Kurunegala's rocks rise from the plain below and have characteristic names, six of which come from the animals that they are imagined to represent. The largest among them is
EthagalaEthagala is one of seven rocks that overlook the town of Kurunegala, in Sri Lanka. The rock face reaches 316 metres over the town and is shaped to resembele a crouching Elephant, which explains its name. Kurunegala is also called Hasthishilapura and Ethugalpura....
or the "
ElephantElephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
Rock" (though the translation is actually
TuskerTusker can mean:* an elephant bearing tusks* an adult male wild boar, particularly the American razorback population* Tusker , a Kenyan beer bottled by East African Breweries...
), reaches 325 meters. The shape of Ethagala resembles an
ElephantElephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
.
Etymology
Kurunegala has been named after the Elephant rock(ඇතුගල). "Kurune" means Tusker or an Elephant with protruding teeth and
Gala in Sinhala means rock.
Kurunai means Tusker or an Elephant and
Gal in
TamilTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
means rock or hill. Kurunegala's old name was
Hasthishaila-pura, which can be translated as
The city of the Elephant rock in
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. In some ancient literature the word
Athugal-pura(ඇතුගල්පුර) is also employed to describe the city of Kurunegala.
Nearby are three archeological cities -
Parakramapura (Panduvasnuwara-පඬුවස්නුවර) (north - west) with remains of a moated palace and monasteries from the 12th century, Dambadeniya-දඹදෙනිය (south - west, mid-13th century), and
YapahuwaYapahuwa was one of the ephemeral capitals of medieval Sri Lanka. The citadel of Yapahuwa lying midway between Kurunagala and Anuradhapura was built around a huge granite rock rising abruptly almost a hundred meters above the surrounding lowlands....
(north).
Kurunegala enjoys a pleasant location overlooked by huge rocky outcrops some of which have been given names of the animals they resemble: Elephant rock, Tortoise rock etc. According to folklore legend, long time back the city had experienced a severe drought. To exacerbate matters for the humans, animals had threatened the city's storage capabilities by consuming huge amounts of water. Fortunately for the humans, a witch had volunteered to alleviate the problem, transforming some of the animals magically into stone figures.
History
Kurunegala had a citadel in the thirteenth century. It's ascendancy as an ancient capital of Sri Lanka, began with a series of events that took place during the late 12th century at Yapahuwa. The sacred tooth relic which was in the Yapahuwa Kingdom was taken away by a Aryacakravarti from the
Jaffna KingdomThe Jaffna kingdom , also known as Kingdom of Aryacakravarti, of modern northern Sri Lanka was a historic monarchy that came into existence around the town of Jaffna on the Jaffna peninsula after the invasion of Magha, who is said to have been from Kalinga, in India...
to the Pandyan country during the rule of Buwaneka Bahu I from 1272 to 1284. The tooth relic was brought back by King Parakrama Bahu III who ruled from Kurunegala between 1287 to 1293. Over the next half a century Kurunegala was the capital and the governing centre for three other kings of Sri Lanka.
After the death of King Parakrama Bahu III, Kings Buvanekabahu II (1293–1302) who was followed by Parakramabahu IV (1302–1326) ruled from Kurunegala. The ruler in Kurunegala from 1326 to 1335 was Buwaneka Bahu III alias Wanni Buwaneka Bahu. He was the son of Pandith Parakrama Bahu II and is believed to be the last king to rule the country from Kurunegala.
After the reign of Buwaneka Bahu III, the newly throned king Vijayabahu V ruled from Dambadeniya and Yapahuwa from 1335 to 1341 before once again the kingdom of Sri Lanka shifted to
GampolaGampola is a town located near Kandy in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Gampola was made the capital city of the island by King Buwanekabahu IV, who ruled for four years in the mid fourteenth century. The last king of Gampola was King Buwanekabahu V. He ruled the island for 29 years. A separate...
.
Few remains of the
Palace of the Tooth relicSri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the Relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is...
that housed
the toothThe Sacred Relic of the tooth of Buddha is venerated in Sri Lanka as a relic of the founder of Buddhism.-The relic in India:...
of the
BuddhaSiddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
have avoided natural destruction, including few stone steps and a part of a doorway.
Geography
Topographically Kurunegala town is based on a plain area with the exception of the surrounding rock out crops. The northern part of the town is slightly higher than the south. The Kurunegala Lake is the primary geographical feature of Kurunegala and adorns the town. The region comprising the Kurunegala town is located well above the sea level compared to the coastal areas of Sri Lanka. However, the region is not as high as the central hill country of the island. The nearest beaches to Kurunegala are to the western coastal areas and include
NegomboNegombo is a town of about 121,933, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport...
and
ChilawChilaw is a western seaboard town on the island of Sri Lanka.It is a bustling town with a famous fishmarket and beach...
.
Climate
Kurunegala features a
tropical rainforest climateA tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, is a tropical climate usually found along the equator...
under the
Koppen climate classificationThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
. The city's climate is tropical and hot all throughout the year. The surrounding rocks play a major role in determining Kurunegala's weather since these rocks increase and retain the heat of the day. During the month of April the temperature can rise up to about 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). The only major change in the Kurunegala weather occurs during the monsoons from May to August and October to January, this is the time of year where heavy rains can be expected. While the city does experience a noticeably drier weather during January and February, it does not qualify as a true
dry seasonThe dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
as average precipitatin in both months are above 60 mm. In general, temperatures from late November to mid February period are lower than the rest of the year.
The annual rainfall in Kurunegala is about 2000 millimeters.
Demographics
According to the census data, the estimated population of Kurunegala in the year 2001 was 28,401. The male population was 14626 and the female population was 13775. Most of Kurunegala's residents belong to the
SinhaleseThe Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
majority. Other ethnic minorities include the
Sri Lankan MoorsThe Sri Lankan Moors are the third largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka comprising 8% of the country's total population . They are predominantly followers of Islam. The Moors trace their ancestry to Arab traders who settled in Sri Lanka some time between the 8th and 15th centuries...
, Sri Lankan Tamils,
BurghersThe Burghers are a Eurasian ethnic group, historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries and local women, with some minorities of Swedish, Norwegian, French and Irish.Today the mother tongue of the Burghers...
and
MalaysThe Malays of Sri Lanka originated in Southeast Asia and today consist of about 50,000 people...
. Residents from ethnic minorities live in all parts of the city, however, sizeable communities of Moors and Tamils also live in the areas of Teliyagonna and Wilgoda.
The following Table summarizes the population of Kurunegala according to different ethnicities.
| Ethnicity | Population | % of Total |
| Sinhalese |
20,874 |
73.66 |
| Sri Lankan Moor |
4,452 |
15.71 |
| Sri Lankan Tamil |
2,221 |
7.84 |
| Malay |
349 |
1.23 |
| Indian Tamil |
249 |
0.88 |
| Burgher |
1651 |
9.56 |
| Others including (Sri Lanka Chetty and Bharatha) |
27 |
0.09 |
Source: 2001 Census Data
Language
The common languages of Kurunegala, depending on social classes, social circles, and ethnic backgrounds are Sinhalese, Tamil and
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Religion
BuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
is the main and the most widely practised religion in Kurunegala. The town is also home to a wide range of other religious faiths and sects including
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
,
HinduismHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and
IslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Hence Buddhism is rapidly increasing within the district.
Prominent Buddhist temples located in Kurunegala include Athkanda Raja Maha Viharaya, Ibbagala Raja Maha Viharaya, Angangala cave temple, Wilbawa Purana Viharaya and Bauddhaloka Viharaya. An ancient replica of Buddha's footprint that is found on the summit of Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak), a little dagoba and some paintings depicting the Buddha and his disciples can be seen at the Ibbagala Raja Maha Viharaya.
Christian/Catholic churches, mosques and Hindu temples are also located within the city. The Church of Ceylon, which is the Anglican Church in Sri Lanka operates a diocese in Kurunegala covering the North-Central province and Kurunegala,
KandyKandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
,
MataleMatale is a town in the hill country of Sri Lanka, from Colombo and from Kandy. It is an area steeped in history and village living. The mayor of Matale is Hilmy Careem, as of May, 2006....
and
KegalleKegalle is a town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. It is located on the Colombo - Kandy road. Its 48 miles/78 km away from Colombo and 24 Miles/40 km away from Kandy. It is the Capital City of the Kegalle District which is one of the two districts belonging to Sabaragamuwa province...
, Anuradapura,
PolonnaruwaThe second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 AD to reunite the country once more under a local leader.-History:While Vijayabahu's victory and shifting of Kingdoms to the more strategic Polonnaruwa...
districts.
Administration
The Kurunegala Municipality Council is responsible for overall administration, sanitary, welfare, and other general activities of the city. The Municipality Council headed by a
mayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
with 12 other elected members. The 12 elected members represent the following wards:
- Gangoda
- Wewa
- Central
- Illuppugedara
|
Madamegama
Wehera
Udawalpola
Bazzar |
Gettuwana
Polattapitya
Teliyagonna (Upper)
Teliyagonna (Lower) |
Transportation
Kurunegala is a central city in Sri Lanka. It is directly connected to a large number of major cities and towns of the island. By road, it is connected to
ColomboColombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
,
KandyKandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
,
PuttalamPuttalam is the capital city of the Puttalam District in North Western Province, Sri Lanka.-History:The history of this dry zone dates back to the arrival of Prince Vijaya, nearly 2500 years ago, when his vessel washed ashore. The name "Puttalam" may be a modification of the Tamil word Uppuththalam...
,
TrincomaleeTrincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
,
NegomboNegombo is a town of about 121,933, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport...
,
AnuradhapuraAnuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...
and
KegalleKegalle is a town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. It is located on the Colombo - Kandy road. Its 48 miles/78 km away from Colombo and 24 Miles/40 km away from Kandy. It is the Capital City of the Kegalle District which is one of the two districts belonging to Sabaragamuwa province...
. Due to its status as a crossroads town, the city is a good base for exploring many important ancient landmarks a short distance away.
Kurunegala can also be reached by the
railwaySri Lanka Railway Department, branded "Sri Lanka Railways", is a key department of the Sri Lankan Government under the Ministry of Transport with a history that begins in 1858...
on the Northern railway line.
The new Central Bus Stand, opened in 2005, is one of Sri Lanka's most efficient and modern bus stands, with a parking-space capacity of about 200 buses at a time.
The rocks
Kurunegala is surrounded by several major rock outcrops, a distinctive geological feature of the Wayamba province of Sri Lanka.
- Etha-gala (Elephant Rock)
- Ibba-gala (Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
Rock)
- Ada-gala (Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
Rock)
- Elu-gala (Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
Rock)
- Kuruminiya-gala (Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
Rock)
- Wandura-gala (Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
Rock)
- Yakdessa-gala(Witch Rock)
- Goni-gala (Sack Rock)
Kurunegala lake
A large man-made water reservoir constructed by ancient kings. The lake is located in the outskirts of the central business district near to the Kurunegala-
DambullaThe city of Dambulla is situated in the Matale District in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, situated 148 km north-east of Colombo and 72 km north of Kandy....
road. The tank is also used as a water supply source to the city.
Kurunegala clock tower
The Kurunegala clock tower was built in 1922 as a tribute to the officers, who went from the Wayamba province and sacrificed their lives in the
First World WarWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The tower memorial plaque has the following inscribed:
"
This Clock Tower was erected in memory of those who went from the North Western province at the call of duty and gave their lives for the empire in the World War in 1914–1918"
However, soon after 1945, the tower was also dedicated to the valiant officers who sacrificed their lives in the
Second World WarWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Located at the centre of the city, today the Kurunegala clock tower serves as a landmark of the city. The Kurunegala Court of Law, The Central Market and the Central Bus Stand are also situated in the vicinity of the clock tower.
Maligawa ancient ruins
Archaeological remains of this site are few, but give a glimpse of its past glory and comprise the handsome stone entrance, steps, rock pillars and ruined walls of the royal palace. Maligawa site also contains some majestic old trees.
Education
Education is delivered free of charge to all students of national schools, according to the government policy. These schools operate under the Provincial Council. There are also privately owned schools in Kurunegala.
National schools
- Maliyadeva College
Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala, is a government school established in 1888, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott. It is one of Sri Lanka's oldest schools and considered by many to be a leading Buddhist school in Sri Lanka.It is a National School and controlled by...
- Kurunegala
- St. Anne's College
St Anne's College is a Catholic boys' school located in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. About 3000 students are studying in this school. The present principal is Rev. Brother Denzil Mendis.-History:...
- Kurunegala
- Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya
Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya is a national Buddhist school in Sri Lanka situated in Kurunegala. Today it accommodates over 4000 students.- History :...
- Kurunegala
- Holy Family Balika Maha Vidyalaya - Kurunegala
- Sir John Kothalawala Maha Vidyalaya - Kurunegala
- Maliyadeva Model School - Kurunegala
- Hizbulla Central College Theliyagonna, Kurunegala
- Lakdas Maha Vidyalaya - Kurunegala
- Hindu Tamil Maha Vidyalayam - Kurunegala
- Sri Nissanka Maha Vidyalaya-Kurunegala
- Wayamba Royal College-Kurunegala
- Zahira M.M.V Vidyalaya
Private/International schools
- Unique International College
- Royal International School
- Wayamba International School
- Lexicon International School
- Amana International School
Sports
Major sporting venues in and around Kurunegala include:
- Welagedara Stadium
Welagedara Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. The stadium was officially declared open by the then Minister of Home Affairs, Justice Felix Dias Bandaranaike in 1972. It is currently used mostly for cricket matches and hosts the Wayamba Cricket Team. The stadium can hold at...
is the top sporting venue in Kurunegala. It regularly hosts both domestic and international CricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
matches.
- Maliyadeva College Cricket Grounds
- Maliga Pitiya Stadium
- St.Anne's College Cricket Grounds
- Maliyadeva Model School Sports Grounds
- Sir John Kotalawala College Grounds
- Vijayaba National College Grounds
See also
- List of cities in Sri Lanka
- Kurunegala train crash
The Yattalgoda train crash was an accident on a Sri Lankan rail line near the town of Kurunegala on 19 August 2001.The Udarata Menike express passenger service from Badulla to Colombo Fort in Sri Lanka was a regular train route which ran on to Colombo...
- List of statues by height
- Wayamba Cricket Team
Wayamba cricket team is a Sri Lankan first class cricket team based in Kurunegala, that represents North Western Province. It draws cricketers from Sri Lanka Premier Trophy. The team competes in two provincial tournaments: the first class cricket competition known as the Inter-Provincial...
External links