Coordinates: 6°40′N, 80°24′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Ratnapura (රත්නපුර in Sinhala; இரத்தினபுரி in Tamil) ("City of Gems" in Sinhala and Tamil) is the name of the provincial capital of Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka and the Ratnapura District in which the town is situated. Some say the modern name is derived from the Portuguese name Rapadura for jaggery, the palm candy produced traditionally in this region, but the more common explanation in Sri Lanka is that it comes from the Sinhala "ratna" meaning gems and "pura" meaning city.^[1] Ratnapura is also spelled as Rathnapura. Located some 101 km south east of Colombo, it is the centre of a long-established industry of precious stone mining including rubies, sapphires, and other gems. Apart from gem mining, the town is known for rice and fruit cultivations. Large plantations of tea and rubber surround the town. Tea grown in this region is called low-country tea. There is a well-established tourism industry in Ratnapura. Sinharaja rain forest, Uda Walawe National Park, Kitulgala, and Sri pada are especially popular among tourists. In 1901, the town of Ratnapura had a population of 4,084, and in 2001, it had increased to 46,309. The population of the Ratnapura district was 1,008,164 in 2001, and this consisted of 86.42% Buddhists and 9.88% Hindus, with the rest of the population being Christians and Muslims. a resource to look at current viewpoints Categories: Indo-Aryan languages | Languages of Sri Lanka | Wikipedia cleanup | Language stubs ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... 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. ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... Sabaragamuwa is a province of Sri Lanka, and contains two main cities: Ratnapura and Kegalle. ... This article is about the district in Sri Lanka. ... Rapadura is the Portuguese name for a traditional candy common in latin american countries such as Brazil and Venezuela (where it is known as papelón) and the Caribbean. ... A block of Indian jaggery (gur) Cleaning of pans prior to manufacture of jaggery Preparation of jaggery Jaggery is the traditional unrefined sugar used in India. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... This article is about the mineral. ... For other uses, see Sapphire (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rice (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Tea (disambiguation). ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a national park in Sri Lanka. ... Uda Walawe National Park is an important national park in the south of Sri Lanka. ... View of the river Kitugala is a small town in the west of Sri Lanka. ... Sri Pada, also known as Adams Peak or Adams Mount, is a 2,243 metre (7,360 feet) tall, conical, mountain located in central Sri Lanka. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ...

Political

The town is ruled by a municipal council headed by a mayor. The council is elected by popular vote and has 15 seats. There were 29159 registered voters in the 2006 local authorities elections. Health Ratnapura provincial hospital is the largest hospital in the Sabaragamuwa province Which is equipped with two surgical units two medical units ,an orthopedic unit,two gyn and obs units two paediatrics units an ENT unit,An neurology unit,A rheumatology unit,a dermatology unit,Psychiatric unit and a cardiology unit.It also a post graduate training center.

Economy

Gem trade

The of the town depends on the gem trade. Gem pits are a common site in the surrounding area. Most of the large-scale gem businessmen of Sri Lanka operate from Ratnapura. There are considerable numbers of foreign gem traders in town too. Among the foreign traders, Thai (Thailand) traders are in the majority. Every day, large number of traders from suburbs and other towns gather in the town centre to sell or buy gemstones. Large-scale merchants collect gemstones from locals and sell them in the international market. Some traders go out of the city to buy gems. This includes neighboring towns like Kalawana, Bogawantalawa, and Ela-era. After the discovery of world-class alluvial sapphire deposits in the valley of Ilakaka in Madagascar, many Ratnapura merchants travel out of the country to Madagascar to buy gems. There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... For other uses, see Gemstone (disambiguation). ... Bogawantalawa is a small town in the Central province of Sri Lanka. ... Ilakaka is a small town in the south western part of Madagascar. ...

Agriculture

The town's agricultural industry is also well developed. Large plantations of tea and rubber surround the town. Although rice fields also used to be a common sight around the town, rice cultivation presently faces an uncertain future in Ratnapura because many farmers are giving up their rice cultivation and switching to gem mining which is a more productive way of earning money. If many farmers give up on agriculture, it would be harder for farmers to harvest enough food for them and to trade in the markets. Many delicious fruits like mango and papaya) and vegetables are grown as market products. This article is about Black tea from Sri Lanka. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Rice (disambiguation). ... Species About 35 species, including: Mangifera altissima Mangifera applanata Mangifera caesia Mangifera camptosperma Mangifera casturi Mangifera decandra Mangifera foetida Mangifera gedebe Mangifera griffithii Mangifera indica Mangifera kemanga Mangifera laurina Mangifera longipes Mangifera macrocarpa Mangifera mekongensis Mangifera odorata Mangifera pajang Mangifera pentandra Mangifera persiciformis Mangifera quadrifida Mangifera siamensis Mangifera similis Mangifera... Binomial name L. This article is about the fruit. ...

Transport

Ratnapura is located in the A4 Highway which connects capital Colombo to Kalmunai in the Eastern Province. Another Highway A8 connects the town with Panadura in the western coast of Sri Lanka. During the British occupation of the Island, narrow gauge train track was laid in 1912 connecting Colombo - Avissawella - Ratnapura - Opanayake however line Avissawella onwards removed in 1976. Thus reducing the mode of transportation to road. In 2006, construction started on a new broad gauge railway line to Awissawella only. Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... Eastern Province is a province of Sri Lanka. ... Panadura is a city on the western coast of Sri Lanka, south of Colombo. ... Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... Avissawella is a town in central Sri Lanka List of railway stations in Sri Lanka FallingRain Map - Elevation = 134 m Categories: | ... For other uses, see Gauge. ...

Ratnapura is located in the south-western part of Sri Lanka, the so-called wet zone. The town receives rainfall mainly from south-western monsoons from May to September. During the remaining months of the year, there is also considerable precipitaion due to convective rains. The average annual precipitation is about 4,000 to 5,000 mm. The average temperature varies from 24 to 35 °C, and there are high humidity levels.The city is above 21m from sea level. This article is about the meteorological term. ...

Floods

The town of Ratnapura is situated in the flooding plain of the river Kalu. The town experiences regular floods usually in the month of May. There is no large dam across the Kalu, so this leaves the city at the mercy of nature's forces every year. Several proposals have been made to reduce the flood risk in the town, but none has reached the feasibility stage. In May 2003, the town experienced the largest flood since the independence of Sri Lanka from Britain in 1947.

Places of worship

There are many places of worship in and around the city. Buddhist places of worship are more in number, which is to be expected since Buddhists constitute the great majority in the area. Nevertheless, there are plenty of places of worship in the town related to other religions. The following are some important examples:

• Maha Saman Devala (Buddhist)
• Delgamu Viharaya (Buddhist)
• Pothgul Viharaya (Buddhist)
• SS Peterand Paul's Cathedral (Catholic Church)
• St. Luke's Church(Church of England)
• Siva Temple (Hindu)
• Jumma Mosque (Islam)
• Diva Guhava (Buddhist)

Maha Saman Devala

This is a shrine dedicated to the god Saman. The god Saman is (a Buddhist deity) considered to be the guardian of Ratnapura. When the Portuguese captured Ratnapura, the ancient shrine that stood at this location was destroyed and a Portuguese church was constructed on top of it. When the Kandyan kingdom recaptured Ratnapura, the Portuguese church was destroyed and the shrine was rebuilt. Although there is no direct evidence to support the existence of the old shrine, indirect evidence supports the existence of a shrine that looked like a Hindu temple at the current location before Portuguese times. Currently this shrine is a very important place of worship for Buddhists. A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... See also: List of deities Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Shrine is also used as a conventional translation of the Japanese Jinja. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation). ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by...

Peter-Paul Church

Peter-Paul Church

The history of Catholics in Ratnapura begins with Portuguese rule in Ratnapura. Very few Catholics lived in the town in the 17th century. Many of them are the descendants of Portuguese and locals that they married. There is evidence to suggest that the Portuguese built a church on top of a destroyed Buddhist / Hindu temple. That Portuguese church was destroyed when the Kandyan kingdom recaptured Ratnapura from the Portuguese. The current church was built in a different location along the Main Street of Ratnapura (inside the town). The Church building being used now is said to be inspired by Blessed Joseph Vaz the Apostle of Ceylon during the 17th century when he visited Ratnapura as a part of his apostolic mission to Sabaragamuwa. After Sabaragamuwa became a diocese on 2 November 1995 SS. Peter-Paul's Church was raised to the status of the Cathedral of the diocese. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 722 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 Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 722 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. ... The Roman Catholic Church is the largest religious denomination of Christianity with over one billion members. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation). ... Blessed Joseph Vaz was a Catholic priest from Goa. ... Sabaragamuwa is a province of Sri Lanka, and contains two main cities: Ratnapura and Kegalle. ... Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... For other uses, see Cathedral (disambiguation). ...

Diva Guhava

Main article: Diva Guhava

A cave temple, believes to be that the place Buddha had rest while visiting Sri Pada (Adam's peak) with his 500 priests, as in Mahavamsa one of the nine places Buddha had visited during his third visit to the Sri Lanka. Spectacular view of Samanala Kanda (mountain of Sri Pada) and size of the cave (able to shelter over 500 people at once) lead widely acceptance as Diva Guhawa. About 5 km off from Kuruwita town (10 km towards to Colombo from Ratnapura) on Erathna road, one of the ancient road to Sri Pada, direct to Diva Guhawa. Media:Example. ... Adams Peak (also Adams Mount; Sinhalese Samanalakanda butterfly mountain, Tamil Sivanolipatha Malai), is a 2,243 metres (7,359 ft) tall conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka. ... The Mahavansha, also Mahawansha, (Pāli: great chronicle) is a historical record, often thought to be the oldest written record oh history, written in the Pāli language, of the Buddhist kings as well as Dravidian kings of Sri Lanka. ... Sri Pada, also known as Adams Peak or Adams Mount, is a 2,243 metre (7,360 feet) tall, conical, mountain located in central 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. ... Sri Pada, also known as Adams Peak or Adams Mount, is a 2,243 metre (7,360 feet) tall, conical, mountain located in central Sri Lanka. ...

Place to visit

Waterfalls

Bopath Ella Situated at Kuruvita, few miles away from Colombo Ratnapura high level road and very easy access via a vehicles. Both waterfall attract visiters from all over the country to Ratnapura. You are allow to bath in this waterfall, but warning for flash flood may cold appear in mater of minutes. Despite is danger the buty of this place is a gem to ratnapura.You have to turn to left at Higgassena clos to Kuruwita from the main colombo Ratnapura road go about 2 km.the fall is like a boo leaf that givs it name. Bopath Ella is a spectacular waterfall situated in Ratnapura district, Sri Lanka. ...

Katugas Ella

A popular water fall among locals, situated at Mahawalawatta, 3km away from Ratnapura town.

Kirindi Ella

The seventh highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. Situated 4 Km away from Ratnapura - Pelmadulla Main road from Pelmadulla town.

Rajanawa

Situated next to Ratnapura Kalawana main road in Marapana village, this beautiful seenary been captured in few famous Sinhala films. Language(s) Sinhala Religion(s) Theravada Buddhism, Christianity, small groups of atheists, agnostics, Muslims, others Related ethnic groups Indo-Aryans, Dravidians, Veddahs, Bengalis The Sinhalese are the main ethnic group of Sri Lanka. ...

Gem Mines

There are many gem mines around the area, especially in paddy fields on lower ground, which are deep around 10m to 50m.

Portable hand operating tools use for mining process such as shovel, picks, pans (specially made from bamboo) and cradles. Once soil lifts out from the mine, with the use of water, the dirt and mud wash out using pans and thus if there any gemstone, which heavier than normal stones, remains at the bottom of the pan as mud wash away. For other uses, see Gemstone (disambiguation). ...

Local heroes

Ehelepola Nilame

In the time of the Last king of Sri Lanka “Sri Vikrama Rajasinha”, Ehelepola Nilame was sent to Ratnapura to build a water canal to support local rice farms. The works of this hero are still visible around the Ratnapura area and local people benefiting from his works even today. His house which is situated in the middle of Ratnapura city is now being used as the Local museum building.

Maps

• Detailed map of Ratnapura and Sri Lanka

References

• Statistics of 2001 Census of Sri lanka
• Catholic Diocese of Ratnapura
• Statistics of 2001 Census of Sri lanka
• Department of elections Sri Lanka
• Weather Forcast Ratnapura
• Maha Saman Devale, Ratnapura
• The Portuguese Cultural Imprint on Sri Lanka
• The Portuguese in Sri Lanka (1505-1658)
• Ilakaka, Madagascar, Geological data and history, sapphire rush

External links

• Ratnapura The City of Gems

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

Streets in Rathnapura:main street,cherch road,bandaranayaka mawatha Image File history File links Flag_of_Sri_Lanka. ...