Kurunegala

Kurunegala
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Kurunegala
කුරුණෑගල
குருனகல்
View of Kurunegala from top of Ethagala.
Kurunegala is located in Sri Lanka
Kurunegala
Location of Kurunegala within Sri Lanka
Coordinates: 7°29′0″N 80°22′0″E / 7.483333°N 80.366667°E / 7.483333; 80.366667
Country Sri Lanka
Province Wayamba Province
Government
- Mayor
Area
- Total 4,816 km2 (1,859.5 sq mi)
- Land 4,624 km2 (1,785.3 sq mi)
- Water 192 km2 (74.1 sq mi)
Population (2001)
- Total 1,460,200
- Density 316/km2 (818.4/sq mi)
Time zone Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone (UTC+5:30)

Kurunegala (Sinhala: කුරුණෑගල, Tamil: குருனகல்), is the capital of the Wayamba 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 94 km from Colombo, and 42 km 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, (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.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Etymology
* 2 Geography and climate
o 2.1 Geography
o 2.2 Climate
* 3 History
* 4 Administration
* 5 Transportation
* 6 Tourist Attractions
o 6.1 The Seven Rocks
o 6.2 Kurunegala Lake
o 6.3 Kurunegala Clock Tower
o 6.4 Maligawa Ancient Ruins
* 7 Education
o 7.1 National Schools
o 7.2 Private/International Schools
* 8 Sports
* 9 Gallery
* 10 See also
* 11 Maps
* 12 External links

[edit] Etymology

Kurunegala has been named after the Elephant rock. "Kurune" means Tusker or an Elephant with protruding teeth and Gala in Sinhala means rock. Kurunai means Tusker or an Elephant and Gal in Tamil means rock or hill. Kurunegala's old name was Hasthishailya-pura, which can be translated as The city of the Elephant rock in Sanskrit. In some ancient literature the word Athugal-pura is also employed to describe the city of Kurunegala.

Nearby are three archeological cities - Parakramapura (Panduvasnuwara) (north - west) with remains of a moated palace and monasteries from the 12th century, Dambadeniya (south - west, mid-13th century), and Yapavuwa (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 had a citadel in the thirteenth century. It was the capital for 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 Palace of the Tooth relic that housed the tooth of the Buddha are to seen, including few stone steps and part of a doorway.
[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] 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, Mahanuwara (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 to park about 200 buses at a time.
[edit] Tourist 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 (Beetle Rock)
* Wandura-gala (Monkey Rock)
* Nathagane Kanda (Walpola)

[edit] Kurunegala Lake

A large man-made water reservoir constructed by ancient kings.
[edit] 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 World War I. 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 valliant officers who sacrificed their lives in the Second World War.

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.
[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] 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.
[edit] National Schools

* Maliyadeva College - Kurunegala
* Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya - Kurunegala
* St. Anne's College - Kurunegala
* Holy Family Balika Maha Vidyalaya - Kurunegala
* Maliyadeva Model School - Kurunegala
* Sir John Kothalawala Maha Vidyalaya - Kurunegala
* Lakdas Maha Viddyalaya - Kurunegala
* Hindu Tamil Maha Vidyalayam - Kurunegala
* Wayamba Royal College - Kurunegala
* Zahira Vidyalaya



* Central College - Kuliyapitiya
* Mawathagama National School - Mawathagama
* Dammissara National College - Nattandiya
* Ibbagamuwa Central College - Ibbagamuwa
* Saranath College - Kuliyapitiya
* Wikramasheela National School - Giriulla
* Pannala National Collage - Pannala
* S.B. Herath National School - Ganewaththa
* Mayurapadha National College - Narammala
* S.W.R.D Bandaranayake National college - Panduwasnuwara

[edit] Private/International Schools

* Royal International School
* Wayamba International School
* Unique International College
* Lexicon International School


[edit] Sports

Major sporting venues in and around Kurunegala include:

* Welagedara Stadium
* Maliga Pitiya Stadium
* St.Anne's College Cricket Grounds
* Maliyadeva College Cricket Grounds
* Maliyadeva Model School Sports Grounds
* Sir John Kotalawala College Grounds

[edit] Gallery

The 88 feet (27 m) giant Buddha Statue on top of the Elephant rock.


Ibba-gala temple sits in a valley about halfway up the Elephant rock.


The Kurunegala lake, as observed from the top of the Elephant rock.


The Kurunegala clock tower.


Welagedara Stadium is the top sporting venue in Kurunegala. It regularly hosts both domestic and international Cricket matches.