Kaduwela, Western Province

Kaduwela
—  City  —
Coordinates:
Country  Sri Lanka
Province Western Province
District
Time zone Sri Lanka Standard Time (UTC+5:30)
Postal code 10640

Kaduwela is a town in Sri Lanka. It is located within the Western Province.

Contents

Etymology

Kaduwela was originally Kadudevola, a compound of Kadu (sword) and Devola (shrine). It was the location of a shrine of the goddess Pattini, linked to a golden sword used in the 'water cutting' ritual. The shrine is called the Purana Rankadu Pattini Maha Devale (ancient great shrine of the golden-sword Pattini).

History

The Rajavaliya mentions that King Rajasinghe I fortified Kadudevola after the Battle of Mulleriyawa in 1562.

According to Robert Percival of the 19th Regiment of Foot, during the Revolt of 1797 against the Dutch, the Sinhalese threw up earthworks and established a fort here.

After the British defeat in the 1st Kandyan War, Kaduwela was occupied by a small force of British sepoys and lascoreens. They were later reinforced by a mixed force of European troops and sepoys under Captain Charles Wilkinson Mercer of the 51st Regiment, prior to the Battle of Hanwella.

See also

External links