The 88 feet giant Buddha Statue on top of the Ethagala.

View of Kurunegala from top of Ethagala.

Kurunegala (කුරුණෑගල) 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 94km 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, (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 and St. Anne's College are situated in Kurunegala. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 529 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (558 × 632 pixel, file size: 40 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 529 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (558 × 632 pixel, file size: 40 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Kurunegala. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Kurunegala. ... Wayamba Province in Sri Lanka North Western Province, or Wayamba as it is known in Sri Lanka is a province of Sri Lanka. ... Kurunegala is a district of Sri Lanka. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... , For other uses, see Kandy (disambiguation). ... Ethagala (the Elephant Rock) is one of seven rocks that overlook the town of Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Maliyadeva College is a college located in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. ...

Origins of the Name

Kurunegala has been named after the Elephant rock. "Kurune" means Tusker or an Elephant with protruding teeth and Gala in Sinhala 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. Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල, ISO 15919: , pronounced ], earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the mother tongue of the Sinhalese, the largest ethnic group of Sri Lanka. ...

Nearby are three archiolocical 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). Dambadeniya is a destroyed ancient city situated in the North Western Province(Wayamba] province of Sri Lanka that served as the capital of Sri Lanka in the mid 13th century. ...

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. But now kurunegala is goning down becous the new government

Geography and climate

Location of Kurunegala within Sri Lanka

Image File history File links Kurunegala. ... Image File history File links Kurunegala. ...

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 Meegamuwa(Negambo) and Halawatha(Chilaw). Negombo ( , IPA: [] in Sinhala) is a town of about 65,000, approximately 30 km north of Colombo in Sri Lanka. ... There is a saying that Chilaw is famous for Crabs, Sri Lanka. ...

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.

History

Kurunegala had a citadel in the thirteenth century. Kurunegala 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. The present Palace of the Tooth relic is situated in Senkadagala/Mahanuwara. The Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, Sri Lanka The tooth sanctuary The Sacred Relic of the tooth of the Buddha is venerated in Sri Lanka as a relic of the founder of Buddhism. ... Media:Example. ...

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. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ...

• Gangoda
• Wewa
• Central
• Illuppugedara
• Madamegama
• Wehera
• Udawalpola
• Bazzar
• Gettuwana
• Polattapitya
• Teliyagonna (Upper)
• Teliyagonna (Lower)

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

National Schools

• Maliyadeva Model School - Kurunegala
• Central College - Kuliyapitiya
• Maliyadeva College - Kurunegala
• Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya - Kurunegala
• St. Anne's College - Kurunegala
• Mawathagama National School - Mawathagama
• Holy Family Balika Maha Vidyalaya - Kurunegala
• Mawathagama National college - Mawathagama
• Sir John Kothalawala Maha Vidyalaya - Kurunegala
• Wayamba Royal College - Kurunegala
• Lakdas Maha Viddyalaya - Kurunegala
• Zahira Viddyalaya
• Demala Vidyalaya
• 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

Maliyadeva College is a college located in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Private/International Schools

• Royal International School
• Wayamba International School
• Unique International College
• Lexicon International School

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. Negombo ( , IPA: [] in Sinhala) is a town of about 65,000, approximately 30 km north of Colombo in Sri Lanka. ... Anuradhapura, ( in Sinhala), is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, world famous for its well preserved ruins of the Great Sri Lankan Civilization. ... Kegalle is a city in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. ...

Attractions

The Seven Rocks

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.

Kurunegala is surrounded by several rock outcrops, a distinctive geological feature of Wayamba. Image File history File links Ibbagala_viharaya. ... Image File history File links Ibbagala_viharaya. ... Image File history File links Kurunegala_lake. ... Image File history File links Kurunegala_lake. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

• 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)

For other uses, see Tortoise (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Eel (disambiguation). ... This article is about the domestic species. ... Subfamilies Chilocorinae Coccidulinae Coccinellinae Epilachninae Scymininae Sticholotidinae etc. ... Approximate worldwide distribution of monkeys. ...

Kurunegala vewa

A large man-made water reservoir constructed by ancient kings.

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 landmark of the city. Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

The tower is located at the city centre, that links the Ambepussa - Trincomalee(A6) and Puththalama - Katugasthota (A10) roads. Vicinity of the tower include the Kurunegala Court of law, market and the central bus stand.

"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"

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.

Sports

Their are many popular sports in Wayamba. The most popular are Cricket, Volleyball, Basketball and others. Dammissara National School got the all-island Volleyball championship in 1980-2006.

Venues

• Welagedara Stadium
• Maliga Pitiya Stadium
• Maliyadeva College Cricket Grounds
• Maliyadeva Model School Sports Grounds
• Sir John Kotalawala College Grounds
• Dammissara National College Grounds
• Mawathagama samodaya ground
• Tecniacal Collage Ground Kuliyapitiya

Maps

• Detailed map of Kurunegala and Sri Lanka

See also

• Kurunegala train crash
• List of statues by height

The Kurunegala train crash was an accident on a Sri Lankan rail line near the town of Kurunegala on the 19 August 2001. ... The following is a list of statues by height. ...

External links

• History and Heritage of Kurunegala
• Welagedara Stadium, Kurunegala
• Kurunegala Divisional Secretariats
• Malay Mosque in Kurunegala
• Kurunegala District Population by Ethnicity - 2001 Census
• Athugalpura Business directory

Sri Lankan Cities	Sri Lankan cities
	Colombo (Commercial Capital) | Sri Jayewardenapura (National Capital) | Anuradhapura | Trincomalee | Jaffna | Kandy | Polonnaruwa | Galle | Batticaloa | Boralesgamuwa | Nuwara Eliya | Negombo | Kurunegala | Badulla | Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia | Moratuwa | Matara | Maharagama | Ratnapura

v • d • e Provincial capitals of Sri Lanka Colombo · Kandy · Galle · Jaffna · Trincomalee · Gampaha · Kurunegala · Anuradhapura · Badulla · Ratnapura Image File history File links Flag_of_Sri_Lanka. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... , District Government  - Mayor Swarnalatha Silva (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 17 km²  (6. ... Anuradhapura, ( in Sinhala), is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, world famous for its well preserved ruins of the Great Sri Lankan Civilization. ... Trincomalee District Map Trincomalee (Tamil: (Thirukonamalai, hist: Sirigonakanda); Sinhala: (Thirikunamalaya)) is a port city on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka, about 110 miles northeast of Kandy. ... Jaffna District. ... , For other uses, see Kandy (disambiguation). ... The second most ancient of Sri Lankas kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 CE to reunite the country once more under a local leader. ... Galle (ගාල්ල in Sinhala; காலி in Tamil) (pronounced as one syllable, rhyming with Gaul in English, in Sinhalese, IPA /gaːlːə/) is a town situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. ... This article is about the capital of the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Nuwara Eliya Town Square A temple to Hanuman near Nuwara Eliya A tea plantation near Nuwara Eliya A waterfall located in the surroundings of Nuwara Eliya Nuwara Eliya (Sinhala නුවරඑළිය Tamil நுவரேலியா)(pronounced approximately ), meaning the city in the open plain (table land)in the hills, is a town in Sri Lanka. ... Negombo ( , IPA: [] in Sinhala) is a town of about 65,000, approximately 30 km north of Colombo in Sri Lanka. ... Badulla (?? in Sinhala; பதுளை in Tamil) is the capital of Uva Province, Sri Lanka. ... Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is a newly created city lying immediately south of Colombo, the largest city in Sri Lanka. ... Moratuwa is a city on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, near Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia. ... Matara (or Metera), is an archeological site in Eritrea (a few kilometers south of Senafe), it was a major Aksumite & Pre-Aksumite City. ... Maharagama is a Town and Municipal Area in the Colombo District, Sri Lanka. ... Ratnapura (රත්නපුර in Sinhala; இரத்தினபுரி in Tamil) (City of Gems in Sinhala & Tamil) is the name of the provincial capital of Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka and the district in which the town is situated. ... Sri Lanka is divided into eight provinces for the purposes of local governance. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... , For other uses, see Kandy (disambiguation). ... Galle (ගාල්ල in Sinhala; காலி in Tamil) (pronounced as one syllable, rhyming with Gaul in English, in Sinhalese, IPA /gaːlːə/) is a town situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. ... Jaffna District. ... Trincomalee District Map Trincomalee (Tamil: (Thirukonamalai, hist: Sirigonakanda); Sinhala: (Thirikunamalaya)) is a port city on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka, about 110 miles northeast of Kandy. ... Gampaha is a city in Sri Lanka and the capital of the Gampaha District in the Western Province, north of Colombo. ... Anuradhapura, ( in Sinhala), is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, world famous for its well preserved ruins of the Great Sri Lankan Civilization. ... Badulla (?? in Sinhala; பதுளை in Tamil) is the capital of Uva Province, Sri Lanka. ... Ratnapura (රත්නපුර in Sinhala; இரத்தினபுரி in Tamil) (City of Gems in Sinhala & Tamil) is the name of the provincial capital of Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka and the district in which the town is situated. ...

Coordinates: 7°29′N, 80°22′E Image File history File links Flag_of_Sri_Lanka. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...