Kurunegala

Kurrunegala is located in Sri Lanka, at an altitude of 116 m above sea level,
a capital city of the North Western Province of Sri Lanka and Kurunegala district and is surrounded by coconut plantations and rubber tea estates. The name of the city comes from the words ‘Kurune’ and ‘Singala’. Kurune means an elephant with tasks and Singala means rock. At its early days the city was called Hasthishailya-pura and Athugal-pura. It is one of the major commercial and administratively important cities of Sri-Lanka. 

The city has its own place in history of Sri-Lanka. In fact, it was an ancient royal capital for 50 years.

Its characteristic features and attractions involve several rock locations that captivate tourists and local alike. There are several such rocky points including Tortoise Rock, El Rock and Beetles Rock etc.

The climate of this place features a tropical rainforest climate and is hot throughout the year. The rocks that surround Kurrunegala, play a vital role in determining the weather of this place as these rocks increase and retain the heat of the day. The temperature rises up to 35 degree Celsius during the month of April and the only change in weather the place experiences is during monsoons from May to August and October to January.

The familiar languages of this city depend upon social classes, social circles, and ethnic backgrounds are Sinhalese, Tamil and English.

Buddhism is the main and the most widely trained religion of the place. The city is also famed among Buddhists all over the world for a statue of Buddha at Bauddhaloka Viharaya. Kurrunegla also has people from wide range of other religious faiths and sects including Christianity, Hinduism and Islam.

As it is the central city of Sri Lanka, it is directly connected to a large number of major cities and towns of the island. By road, you can get to this place from various places like Colombo, Kandy, Puttalam, Trincomalee, Negombo, Anuradhapura and Kegalle. It can also be reached by the railway on the Northern railway line.

Kurrunegala’s major attraction is Clock Tower, built in 1922, in a tribute to the officers, who went from the Wayamba province and sacrificed their lives in the First World War. The tower now serves as a landmark of the city.

The city has prosperous tradition of welcoming and friendly inhabitants, and range of restaurants where one can try out and enjoy local cuisines.

Kurunegala Lake, a man-made reservoir built during ancient times. It serves as the water supplier of the city and also enhances the scenic beauty of the city.

There are few historic places in this fast growing city, but they are enough to gratify the interest for historical enthusiasts looking for exploration. Various other tourist amusements consist of carved and built rock pillars, stone entrances, Maligawa ruins, walls of royal palaces. Renowned Ibba-gala temple is located near the very famous Elephant Rock. One can even shop in local markets to get in touch with innovative Sri-Lankan products.

The place also boasts of a sports stadium, located in the city, famous for hosting domestic and international cricket matches. The stadium is mammoth and breathtaking and is capable of holding nearly 10,000 spectators. A well timed visit can be memorable for cricket lovers as you can gain an experience of watching live action.