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, the Capital of Sri Lanka 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.
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 a legend, when during drought, the animals threatened the city's water supply, they were magically turned into stone.
Geography and climate
Geography
Climate
Kurunegala’s climate is fairly temperate and tropical all throughout the year. However during the month of April the temperature can rise upto 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.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).There is little left of the Tooth relic temple save few stone steps and part of doorway.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.
Schools
- Maliyadeva Boys College
- Maliyadeva Balika Maha Vidyalaya
- St. Annes College
- Holy Family Balika Maha Vidyalaya
- Maliyadeva Model School
- Royal International School -- (Private)
- Wayamba Inter National School -- (Private)
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.Attractions
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)
Kurunegala Lake
Kurunegala Clock Tower
This was built for tribute to the Officers, who went from Kurunegala and sacrefised their lives in the World War I. Today the clock tower serves as an identical landmark of Kurunegala.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.Demography
People and Culture
Sports
Venues
- Welagedara Stadium
- Maliyadeva College Cricket Grounds
External links
| Main Cities Of Sri Lanka |
|
|---|---|
| Colombo | Trincomalee | Jaffna | Kandy | Anuradhapura | Polonnaruwa | Galle | Batticaloa | Kotte | Kurunegala | Badulla | Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia | Moratuwa | |
| Provincial Capitals Of Sri Lanka |
|
|---|---|
| Colombo | Kandy | Galle | Jaffna | Trincomalee | Kurunegala | Anuradhapura | Badulla | Ratnapura | |
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