Kurunegala
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Kurunegala is the capital of the North Western Province, Sri Lanka and the Kurunegala District. A transport hub, it has a railway station, and several main roads linking important parts of the country. It is situated about 116Km from Colombo, and 42Km from Kandy. Kurunegala has a population of 28,571. Ethagala a rock reaching 316 meters, towers over the town, which is located at an altitude of 116 meters above sea level. Ethagala, also known as the Elephant Rock is a magnificent creation of nature. The shape of Ethagala resembles an Elephant. The climate is tropical monsoon, with about 1800 millimeters of rain per year. Maliyadeva College is situated in kurunegala.
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[edit] Origins of the Name
Kurunegala has been named after the Elephant rock. "Kurune" means Tusker or an Elephant with protruding teeth and Gala in Sinhalese means rock. Kurunegala's old name was Hasthishailya-pura, which can be translated as The city of the Elephant rock. In some ancient literature the word Athugal-pura is also employed to describe the city of Kurunegala.
Nearby are three earlier capitals - Panduvasnuwara (north - west) with remains of a moated palace and monasteries from the 12th century, Dambadeniya (south - west, mid-13th century), and Yapahuwa (north).
It 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 humans, the 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.
[edit] Geography and climate
[edit] 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 adorns the town. The Kurunegala area is located well above the sea level comapared to Sri Lankan coastal areas. However the area 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 Negombo and Chilaw.
[edit] Climate
Kurunegala’s climate is fairly temperate and tropical all throughout the year. However 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. In general, temperatures experience during late November to mid February period are lower than the rest of the year.
[edit] History
Kurunegala was a royal capital of Sri Lanka in the thirteenth century. Kurunegala is the royal capital for only half a century, starting with the reign of King Buvanekabahu II (1293-1302) who was followed by King Parakramabahu IV (1302-1326). Few remains of the Tooth relic temple that housed the tooth of the Buddha are to seen, including few stone steps and part of a doorway. The present temple of the Tooth relic is situated in Kandy.
[edit] 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 mayor 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)
[edit] Education
Education is delivered free of charge to all the children according to the government policy. The schools are operating under the Provincial Council and also the national schools are operating under the Central Government.
There are also several privatley operating schools. These schools are also monitored by the Provincial Council's Education Ministry.
[edit] Schools
- Maliyadeva Boys College
- Maliyadeva Balika Maha Vidyalaya
- St. Annes College
- Holy Family Balika Maha Vidyalaya
- Sir John Kothalawala Maha Vidyalaya
- Maliyadeva Model School
- Royal International School -- (Private)
- Wayamba Inter National School -- (Private)
[edit] Transportation
Kurunegala is a central city in Sri Lanka and is directly connected to a large number of major cities and towns of the island. By road, it is connected to Colombo, Kandy, Puttalam, Trincomalee, Negombo, Anuradhapura and Kegalle. Kurunegala can also be reach by the railway on the Northern Railway line. The newly built centralized Bus Stand is Sri Lanka's most efficient and modern Bus Stand with space tp park about 200 buses given any time.
[edit] Attractions
[edit] The Seven Rocks
Kurunegala is surrounded by several rock outcrops, a distinctive geological feature of Wayamba.
- Etha-gala (Elephant Rock)
- Ibba-gala (Tortoise Rock)
- Ada-gala (Eel Rock)
- Elu-gala (Goat Rock)
- Yakdessa-gala
- Kuruminiya-gala (Ladybird Rock)
- Wandura-gala (Monkey Rock)
[edit] Kurunegala Lake
[edit] Kurunegala Clock Tower
This was built in 1922 as a tribute to the officers, who went from the Wayamba province and sacrificed their lives in the World War I. But after 1945 the tower was also dedicated to the officers who sacrificed their lives in the Second World War. Today the Kurunegala clock tower serves as a most notable distinguish landmark of the city.
The tower is located near to a main roundabout that links the Kurunegala-Colombo, Kurunegala-Dambulla and Kurunegala-Kandy roads. Near by buildings to the tower include the Kurunegala Courts, market and the central bus stand. The front facet of the tower is engraved with the sentence,
"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"
Following are the names of the officers who sacrificed their lives in the World War I & II
Great World War I - 1914-1919
- G.S.Bate, R.N.D.
- W.A. Beath, I.A.R.O.
- A.A. Brown, M.C.R.F.A.
- L.G.B. Grabb, East Surreys
- L.A.H. Hackett, M.C.R. Mun. Fus.
- G.R. Hannan, R. Dus. Fus.
- R.E.Holmes, Scots Guards
- F.I.W. Obeysekere, Volunteer
- A.G.F. Perera, Volunteer
- G.H.S. De Saram, Volunteer
- A.D. Trefusis, L.N.Larcs
Great World War II - 1939-1945
- Duncan Munell
- F. Spencer Scrader (AF)
- G. Mundell
- H.L.S. Ayoodhouse
- Symons (W.S)
- Tully Oligvy
- L.S.A. Evarts (R.N)
[edit] 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.
[edit] Demography
[edit] People and Culture
[edit] Sports
[edit] Venues
- Welagedara Stadium
- Maliyadeva College Cricket Grounds
- Maliga pitiya stadium
- Sir john kotalawala collage Grounds
- None Others
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- History and Heritage of Kurunegala
- Welagedara Stadium, Kurunegala
- Kurunegala Divisional Secretariats
- Malay Mosque in Kurunegala
- Kurunegala District Population by Ethnicity - 2001 Census
| Main Cities Of Sri Lanka |  |
|---|---|
| Colombo | Trincomalee | Jaffna | Kandy | Anuradhapura | Polonnaruwa | Galle | Batticaloa | Sri Jayewardenapura | Kurunegala | Badulla | Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia | Moratuwa | |
| Provincial Capitals Of Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|
| Colombo | Kandy | Galle | Jaffna | Trincomalee | Kurunegala | Anuradhapura | Badulla | Ratnapura | |
