Ahangama
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Ahangama is a coastal town in
Galle District Galle ( ''gālla distrikkaya''; ''Kāli māvattam'') is a Districts of Sri Lanka, district in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is one of 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the co ...
, Southern Province of
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
. It is approximately east of
Galle Galle (, ; , ) (formerly ) is a major city on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, south of Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Southern Province, Sri Lanka and is the capital of Galle District. Galle was known as ''Gi ...
. The A2 highway passes through the town.


Geography

Nearby towns include Habaraduwa,
Koggala Koggala (; ) is a small coastal town, situated at the edge of a lagoon on the south coast of Sri Lanka, located in Galle District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. Koggala is bounded on one side by a reef, and on the oth ...
,
Weligama Weligama (, ) is a town on the south coast of Sri Lanka, located in Matara District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. The name ''Weligama'', literally means "sandy village" which refers to the area's sandy sweep bay. It ...
and Imaduwa.


History

Historically, Ahangama is situated within the
Principality of Ruhuna The Principality of Ruhuna (Sinhala language , Sinhala: , ), also referred to as the Kingdom of Ruhuna, is a region of present-day Southern and Eastern Sri Lanka. It was the center of a flourishing civilisation and the cultural and economic centre ...
. Ahangama was significantly affected by the
tsunami A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...
caused by the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+07:00, UTC+7), a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2–9.3 struck with an epicenter, epicentre off the west coast of Aceh in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The Submarine earthquake, undersea ...
, where the waters measured high. Approximately west of Ahangama is the birthplace of noted Sri Lankan author
Martin Wickramasinghe Lama Hewage Don Martin Wickramasinghe, (commonly known as Martin Wickramasinghe) () (29 May 1890 – 23 July 1976) was a Sri Lankan journalist and author. His books have been translated into several different languages. Martin Wickramasinghe ...
and there is a museum, Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Art Museum, dedicated to his arts and popular traditions in the town. Approximately west of Ahangama is the Kataluva Purvarama Maha Viharaya temple, which was originally built in the 13th century and has some late 19th century additions. The temple is renowned for its Kandyan-style paintings in the main shrine, dating from the late 19th century. The paintings of musicians, dancers and European figures illustrates an interesting piece of social history. Some of the Jatake tales (episodes from the Buddha's series of 550 previous lives) are painted here, and purportedly are 200 years old. There are also some cameo-style paintings of
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
and the Queen Mother, done in gratitude of Queen Victoria's role in ensuring the free practice of Buddhism outlined in the Kandyan capitulation of Lanka in 1815. Ahangama is also the home to the Giniwella Kathaluwa and the ancient Temples. The Kathaluwa Buddhist temple is known for its murals and for the preserved first printing press, brought by the Dutch to Sri Lanka.


Tourism

Ahangama is a very calm and peaceful beach town with majestic palm trees all around. There is no sound apart from the waves hitting the shore and swaying of the trees making it ideal for a relaxing vacation. A small town in Southern Province, Ahangama is a secret treasure in Sri Lanka. Known for its pristine beaches, sparkling waters and picturesque landscapes, this town is indeed one of the most beautiful ones in the country. Although it is not fully developed, it is easily accessible via Galle, a major city that lies only 20 minutes from Ahangama. This town, being at the epitome of serenity, is one of the ideal getaways in the country. Ahangama overlooks the aesthetic Weligama Bay, which is a happening place in the town. The famous tuk-tuk takes passengers from the main city to the Bay. Weligama is the central surfing spot, surfing being one of the main attractions of Ahangama. Apart from surfing, Wellingama offers beachside shops, restaurants, shacks and bars. The landscapes of Ahangama, along with its fame for surfing, make it what it is today. This town is an attraction of tourism. Ahangama has beautiful beaches such as Kathaluwa beach, Kabalana beach, Ahangama beach, Goviyapana beach and Midigama beach. There are a lot of surfing areas in Ahangama.


Special Activities

The major activity in this area is tourism. There are a lot of hotels and restaurants. The area is famous for its distinct stilt fishermen, who erect a single pole in the chest-deep water on the beach, just few meters off-shore, where they perch on a cross bar and using bamboo fishing rods cast their lines out beyond the surf break to catch small fish. This area is also known for its
coir Coir (), also called coconut fibre, is a natural fibre extracted from the outer husk of coconut, and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes, and mattresses. Coir is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell ...
industry. The Ahangama area is home to the most consistent, and possibly the best, surf in Sri Lanka. Development is ongoing in parts, but for now it remains a relatively low-key region with a mix of surfer-friendly accommodation and the odd villa. The shoreline consists of slim sandy bays and rocky outcrops, though the A2 highway often runs very close to the shore.


See also

* List of towns in Southern Province, Sri Lanka * Ahangama railway station


References


External links

* Populated places in Southern Province, Sri Lanka Seaside resorts in Sri Lanka {{SouthernLK-geo-stub