Kalutara (, ) or Kalutota is a major city in

Kalutara District Kalutara District (; ''Kaḷuttuṟai Māvaṭṭam'') is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary (previo ...

Western Province, Sri Lanka The Western Province ( ''Basnāhira Paḷāta''; ''Mael Mākāṇam'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any l ...

. It is also the administrative capital of

. It is located approximately south of the capital

Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...

. The city holds a unique position for one of the four major rivers in Sri Lanka, the

Kalu Ganga Kalu Ganga (; literally: Black River) is a river in Sri Lanka. The river originates from Sri Pada Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, reaching the sea at Kalutara after a journey. The Black River flows through the Ratnapura and the Kalutara District an ...

, which joins the sea at the centre of the city. Kaluthara is known for making rope, baskets, and other articles from the fibre of the coconut palm. The area also produces the

Mangosteen Mangosteen (''Garcinia mangostana''), also known as the purple mangosteen, is a tropical evergreen tree with edible fruit native to Island Southeast Asia, from the Malay Peninsula to Borneo. It has been cultivated extensively in tropical Asia ...

s, a fruit introduced from

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

in the 19th century.

Etymology

Once an important spice-trading centre, the town's name is derived from the

('Black River' in native Sinhala). In the 11th century, the town was temporarily made a capital on the orders of a South Indian Prince. The region was later planted with

coconut trees The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the f ...

, whose by-products are used for both internal and external trade. The location also boast fortifications (

Kalutara fort Kalutara fort ( ''Kaluthara Balakotuwa''; ) was built by the Portuguese in 1622. It was located in Kalutara, Sri Lanka. In 1574, Portuguese forces, commanded by Diogo de Melo de Castro, devastated the area south of Colombo destroying numerous s ...

) dating back from the times when Portuguese, Dutch and British vied for control of the area. The long Kalutara Bridge was built at the mouth of the Kalu Ganga River and serves as a major link between the country's western and southern border. The name Kalutara is a name broken from the name Kalutota. The name Kalugantota became Kalutota and then Kalutara. One of the first occasions mentioned in history about Kalutara is because the Chola prince Parakrama Pandya Perumal made Kalutara his capital (Kalatittha). The other occasion was when the village of Yodunpahe or Pasyodune was cultivated by King Maha Parakumba between Kalutara and Bentara. Kalutara is mentioned again during the journey of King Parakumba II, who came to worship at Benthota Galapata temple during the Dambadeni period, when the Rajarata kingdoms began to expand to the southwest. During the Gampaha period, the Arya Chakravarthi kings of the Tamil kingdom of Jaffna passed Panadura and took the people to Kalutara. (Rajavaliya). Gampala And in the epic poems written during the Kotte eras, there are precious comments about Kalutara and the temple located there (Gangathilaka Viharaya-Kalutara Bodhi). In each of these epic poems, it is mentioned that the location of Kalutara is right in the middle of Pothupitiya and Kalamulla villages. A lot of information is heard about Kalutara during the Kotte era. It is said that Prince Tinthadu Muditta Perumal Thennakone was brought from Soly country to become the king after King Parakumba VI. (Rajawaliya) Because that prince did not own the kingdom of Lanka, he was allowed to enjoy his life as long as the sun and moon lasted, so that his descendants could enjoy it as long as the sun and moon lasted. And Pasdun made a hundred villages in Korale Nindagam( නින්දගම). Kalutara is one of them. The Tudugala Tennakone royal family has been the nominal kings of the Kalutara regional state (Tudugala Bandaravaliya-තුඩුගල පරපූර) since then. In the last period of the Kotte period, the Portuguese power in Kalutara was strong and the legend mentions a prince who attacked Pratigalun who was occupying Kalutara. . Raigama converted to Catholicism because of Princess Bandara's visit to Tammi from the Palace of Yakunduwa, and acted in favor of the Portuguese, but later carried out an anti-Portuguese practice. It is mentioned. (Varshakandarashtra). The Salagama army attacked Kalutara Pratigal Wadi and chased Pratigal and then established power in Panadura fortress . After the destruction of the Catholic church in Kalamulla by "Don Susev" of Hulsfdorp Mountain (Wulfandal), the assistant of prince "Vediye Bandara" in Kalutara, the arrival of anti-gal forces blocked the northern entrance of Kalamulla with thornbushes and the current Katukurunda is the same. The land (the tombu of the generation of "Susevhevage" generation). It was after the Portuguese era that the fierce caste wars that commemorated Kalutara city in history began. During the Portuguese period, a large group of Salagama people landed from Madampe(Amabaangoda) and settled in Waskaduwa,Pothupitiya, Deshastra and Kalamulla. Therefore, Karawa and Salagama conflicts occurred regularly around Kalutara town. To the north of Kalutara, Vaskaduwa Salagama was a powerful territory and after attacking the Kalutara Karawa people, the Karawa caste started a silent cold war when they saw that the exit doors to the Karawa people were blocked from Kalamulla and Waskaduwa. By the Salagama community of "Susewhewa", a very violent community group In 1621 AD, Pratigalun broke down the temple of Kalutara Gangathilaka and started the construction of Kalutara Fort. Baby Jesus Cathedral After the construction of Domingo Cathedral Waskaduwa(After the baptism of the Salagama group of "Susevhewage", a fierce group) the entire Kalutara area became Catholic. The use of Catholic surnames became popular because of baptism. It is said that he was adopted (Tombu of Susevhewa descendants) At this time, Kalutara port emerged as a headquarters of the cinnamon trade, and Susevhewa's(The mother part of Waskaduwe Sri Subhuthi Thero) descendants and the Seram (Saram Mudali) descendants were like flag giants who took the initiative in all activities of Kalutara society. (Wolfendahl Street) Catholic and Protestant Christians. Conflicts were a common sight in Kalutara during the Dutch period and it developed into a sub-caste conflict of the same caste (conflicts between the upper sub-castes of Salagama caste and Hinna). At the Kalutara Report Office. When the English captured the Dutch Fort in 1797, they established a

Kachcheri A kachcheri or district secretariat is the principal government department that administrates a district in Sri Lanka. Each of the 25 districts has a kachcheri. The main tasks of the District Secretariat involve coordinating communications and ac ...

there. Since that time, Kalutara has become the head office of the Kalutara district.

Administration

Kalutara is governed by an

Urban Council The Urban Council (UrbCo) was a municipal council in Hong Kong responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon (including New Kowloon). These services were provided by the council's executive arm, the Urban Services ...

with a chairman. The council has 20 (since 2018) members, elected by the local government election. The local board of Kalutara was established in 1878. Then in 1923, the local board was succeeded by the Urban District Council.

Demographics

Kalutara is Sinhalese majority city.

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

are second largest group in the city. There are also small numbers of

Sri Lankan Tamils Sri Lankan Tamils ( or ), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, Sri Lanka, Northern Province, form the pluralit ...

and Indian Tamils. Others include Malay and

Burger Burger or Burgers may refer to: Food and drink Foods * Hamburger, a food consisting of one or more cooked beef patties, placed inside a sliced bread roll or bun roll. ** Cheeseburger, a hamburger with added cheese(s) * Ground beef, minced bee ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

is widely understood and can be spoken by the local population.

Ethnicity according to Kalutara urban area (2001)

''Source:
''statistics.gov.lk''

Attractions

* Kalutara or Gangatilaka Vihara was built in the 1960s to the south of the Kalutara Bridge, is Kalutara's most dominant landmark. The white three-storey-high dagoba at Kalutara Vihara is believed to be the only Buddha

Stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

in the world which is entirely hollow. It contains a smaller dagoba inside. The interior of the Stupa is decorated with paintings of the Jataka tales about the life of the Buddha. *

Kalutara Bodhiya Kalutara Bodhiya is a Ficus religiosa, Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa, sacred fig) located in Kalutara, Western Province of Sri Lanka. Situated on the Galle Colombo main road, by the side of Kalu River just south to the Kalutara city, it is believed ...

is one of the most sacred

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka. It is one of the 32 saplings of

Anuradhapura Anuradhapura (, ; , ) is a major city located in the north central plain of Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central Province, Sri Lanka, North Central Province and the capital of Anuradhapura District. The city lies north of the cur ...

Sri Maha Bodiya. Kalutara Bodiya is located on Colombo-Galle road."Discovering the Kalutara Bodhiya – A Sacred Tree Rooted in History"
/ref> * Richmond Castle, Kalutara is a two-storey mansion, built in 1896, at Palatota. Richmond Castle is a 42-acre fruit garden estate, originally built for a wealthy regional governor. The architecture is a mix of British and Indian styles, copied from the plans of an Indian Maharaja's palace designed by a London architect. The building has intricate carvings. * Calido beach is a thin strip of preserved land which runs between the Kalu River and the Indian Ocean. * Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple is a

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

built in 1873, in Kalutara north. * Kalutara Clock Tower, constructed by Marcus Silva as a memorial for his father, Paul Silva and his mother.

Education

Kalutara has four national schools, eleven provincial schools, two semi-government schools, and three international schools. It also has a branch of

Open University of Sri Lanka The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL; , ) is a national university in Sri Lanka. It is unique within the Sri Lankan national university system for being the only university to offer programs of study leading to certificate, diploma, degrees ...

. A number of the schools and colleges are listed below: * Gnanodaya Maha Vidyalaya, Kalutara * Gurulugomi Maha Vidyalaya, Kalutara * Holy Cross College, Kalutara * Holy Family Convent, Kalutara *

Aquinas College of Higher Studies The Aquinas College of Higher Studies also known as Aquinas University College is a Sri Lankan nonprofit private Tertiary education institute that provides both academic degrees and vocational training. History The Aquinas College of Higher St ...

, Kalutara Branch * JMC International College, Kalutara *

Kalutara Vidyalaya Kalutara Vidyalaya () is a Buddhist boys' school in Kalutara, Sri Lanka. The college was founded in 1941 by Sir Cyril de Zoysa. It is a national school providing primary and secondary education. History In order to provide education to the B ...

, Kalutara * Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya, Kalutara *

Muslim Central College Muslim Central College or Kalutara Muslim Central College is a government (National school) located in Kalutara, Sri Lanka. The school was established in 1918 when the 'Kur-Aan Madharasa' religious school was converted into a Tamil Tamil may r ...

, Kalutara * R. D. K College, Kalutara * Tissa Central College, Kalutara * Velapura Maha Vidyalaya, Kalutara * Vidura College, Kalutara Kalutara Public library is located near the High Court and one of the largest libraries of Sri Lanka.

Infrastructure

Rail

Kalutara has two railway stations, Kalutara North and Kalutara South. Kalutara South is closest to the heart of the Kalutara town. Kalutara south railway station is a major railway hub on the

Coastal A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

or Southern Rail Line (connecting

through to Matara).

Road

Kalutara is located on the A2 highway connecting Colombo, via

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 ...

through to

Wellawaya Wellawaya (; ) is a town located in Monaragala District, Uva Province of Sri Lanka. History On 25 August 1630 a major battle took place near Wellawaya between Portuguese forces and the Sinhalese under the command of King Rajasinghe II, which re ...

via Matara. As a result, a large number of bus services pass through the town. It is the main point for bus routes in Kalutara district. File:KalutaraGalleRoad.jpg, Galle Road File:KalutaraHolyCrossKirche.jpg, Holy Cross Church File:KalutaraRathaus.jpg, Municipal Council File:KalutaraSt.John'sKirche.jpg, St. John's Church File:KalutaraUhrturmDenkmal.jpg, Clock Tower and Independence Monument

References

External links

{{Authority control Populated places in Kalutara District