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Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia ( si, දෙහිවල-ගල්කිස්ස, translit=Dehivala-Galkissa; ta, தெஹிவளை-கல்கிசை, translit=Tehivaḷai-Kalkicai), population 245,974 (2012) is the largest suburb of the City of
Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
, and covers an extent of 2109 hectares. It lies south of the
Colombo Municipal Council The Colombo Municipal Council is the municipal governing body of Colombo, the largest city and financial centre in Sri Lanka. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of Colombo, current elect is Rosy Senanayake, and 119 elected 119 muni ...
area and separated from it by the
Dehiwala Dehiwala is a suburban area in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It lies within the administrative boundaries of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council. It is known for the zoo which houses thousands of animals and hundreds of species. 2019 Easter Sunday a ...
canal which forms the northern boundary of DMMC. Its southern limits lie in Borupana Road and the eastern boundary is Weras Ganga with its canal system and including some areas to its east (Pepiliyana, Gangodawila and
Kohuwala Kohuwala is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka and is situated where the Colombo Piliyandala Road crosses Nugegoda Dehiwala Road. Hence it is connected to Nugegoda, Dehiwala, Pamankada, Boralesgamuwa and Piliyandala. Kohuwala is inside the administra ...
). This town has extensive population and rapid industrialisation and urbanization in recent years. It is home to Sri Lanka's National Zoological Gardens, which remains one of Asia's largest. Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila and Colombo Airport, Ratmalana are some important landmark in this area. Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia and
Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, commonly known as Kotte (), is the legislative capital of Sri Lanka. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is a satellite city and located within the urban area of Sri Lanka's de facto economic, executive, and judicial capital, ...
being two large suburban centres of the city of
Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
function together as one large urban agglomeration in the Region (
Western Province Western Province or West Province may refer to: * Western Province, Cameroon *Western Province, Rwanda *Western Province (Kenya) *Western Province (Papua New Guinea) *Western Province (Solomon Islands) *Western Province, Sri Lanka *Western Provin ...
). The overspill from the City in residential and commercial uses of land have rapidly urbanised these suburban centers. Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia and Sri Jayawardenpaura along with
Colombo Municipal Council The Colombo Municipal Council is the municipal governing body of Colombo, the largest city and financial centre in Sri Lanka. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of Colombo, current elect is Rosy Senanayake, and 119 elected 119 muni ...
form the most urbanised part of the core area of the Colombo Metropolitan Region. Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia lie along the
Galle Galle ( si, ගාල්ල, translit=Gālla; ta, காலி, translit=Kāli) (formerly Point de Galle) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Southern ...
Road artery, which runs along the coast to the south of the country.


Etymology

There are many stories about the history of this area. One of those is Diya Wala which means a dip or hole filled with water. In past this area consists full of ponds, lakes thus it became known as Diyawala (an area filled with water) and later on it became Dehiwala. Another story in this name regard is that this area has many trees of
lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...
or a forest of lime trees and people call it Dehiwala. It is told that king of Kotte filled all his lime requirements from this area.


History

Before colonisation of the maritime region by the Portuguese, the area covered by the present DMMC was part of the Kingdom of Kotte. It comprised a number of villages such as Pepiliyana Nedimala, Attidiya and Kalubowila, while Ratmalana and areas south of Dehiwala were together one large expanse of marshland, and scarcely populated.


Portuguese era

During the Portuguese occupation, the Kingdom of Kotte was ruled by king Don Juan Dharmapala, and it encompassed the above-mentioned villages. Early records also indicate that in the year 1510 AD the village of “Galkissa” is mentioned and named after the rocky mound (Lihiniyagala) protruding into the Bay. Fascinating tales are woven round this rock and the village “Galkissa”. The Dutch invaders called the mound “the pregnant wench”.


Dutch era

With the arrival of the Dutch in the early seventeenth century, a more organised administrative structure was in place, whereby a broad based taxation and legal system evolved.


British era

However, it was only during British occupation (19th Century) that a Provincial administrative (Kachcheri) system and a form of Local Government developed. When the second
Governor of Ceylon {{Use dmy dates, date=November 2019 The Governor of Ceylon can refer to historical vice-regal representatives of three colonialism, colonial powers: Portuguese Ceylon * List of Captains of Portuguese Ceylon (1518–1551) * List of Captain-majors of ...
,
Sir Thomas Maitland Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Thomas Maitland (10 March 1760 – 17 January 1824) was a British soldier and British colonial governor. He also served as a Member of Parliament for Haddington from 1790 to 1796, 1802–06 and 1812 ...
, acquired land at "Galkissa" (
Mount Lavinia Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia ( si, දෙහිවල-ගල්කිස්ස, translit=Dehivala-Galkissa; ta, தெஹிவளை-கல்கிசை, translit=Tehivaḷai-Kalkicai), population 245,974 (2012) is the largest suburb of the City of ...
) and decided in 1806 to construct a personal residence there. Maitland fell in love with Lovina Aponsuwa, a local
mestiço Mestiço is a Portuguese term that referred to persons born from a couple in which one was an aboriginal person and the other a European. Mestiço community in Brazil in Colonial Brazil, it was initially used to refer to , persons born from ...
dancer, and continued a romantic affair with her until he was recalled to England in 1811. The Governor's mansion, which he named "Mount Lavinia House" is now the
Mount Lavinia Hotel The Mount Lavinia Hotel, in Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka, is a 275-room hotel, situated at 100 Hotel Road in Mount Lavinia. It is recognised as one of the oldest and most famous hotels in the country. It has been continuously operating as a hotel s ...
and the village that surrounded the building has subsequently developed into a bustling area, taking its name from the Governor's mistress, Lovina. Later, the area assumed the name of Mount Lavinia alluding to the factual story of a romance between the then British Governor Thomas Maitland (1805–1812) and a dancing girl called Lovina of the area.


After Independence

Dehiwela, Mount Lavinia attained Municipal status in December 1959. Dehiwela Mount Lavinia as a Local body of 6 wards extending over a land extent of only 16.3 km2 (). Due to rapid urban growth and for administrative reasons this area was extended and divided into 19 wards in 1959 and given Municipal status. Later in 1967 the municipality was increased to an area of approximately was apportioned into 29 wards, as it exists today.


Geography

As the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia area lies on the coastal plain the land is mostly flat and undulating towards the inland areas. A significant feature is the large extent of wetlands around the Weras Ganga (river) and Bolgoda Lake the two major water bodies. The Bellanwila and Attidiya marshes are noteworthy for their bio-diversity and as such are considered as an ecological protected zone. Lying in the wet zone, the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia area receives an average annual rainfall between 2000 and 3000 mm mainly during the south west monsoon and the intermonsoon periods. Mean average day temperature is around 28 °C and average maximum between 30.5 and 31 °C Minimum night temperature varies from 26 °C to 27 °C.


Zones

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is a suburb of Colombo Metropolitan Region. Its Municipality comprises the following areas. *
Dehiwala Dehiwala is a suburban area in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It lies within the administrative boundaries of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council. It is known for the zoo which houses thousands of animals and hundreds of species. 2019 Easter Sunday a ...
*
Mount-Lavinia Mount Lavinia ( si, ගල්කිස්ස, ta, கல்கிசை) is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka located within the administrative boundaries of the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia municipal limits. The area is a mostly residential suburb, k ...
*Attidiya *
Kalubowila Kalubowila is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is inside the administration boundary of the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council. The Colombo South Teaching Hospital The Colombo South Teaching Hospital (also called Kalubowila Hospital) is ...
*
Kohuwala Kohuwala is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka and is situated where the Colombo Piliyandala Road crosses Nugegoda Dehiwala Road. Hence it is connected to Nugegoda, Dehiwala, Pamankada, Boralesgamuwa and Piliyandala. Kohuwala is inside the administra ...
*Nedimala *
Ratmalana Ratmalana is a suburb in Colombo District, Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is inside the administration boundary of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council. Ratmalana is situated 14.6 km south of Colombo city centre. Ratmalana Airport locat ...


Demographics

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipality area is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city.


Popular Religious Places


Buddhist Temples

*
Bellanwila Rajamaha Viharaya Bellanwila Rajamaha Viharaya is a Buddhist temple situated in Bellanwila, Colombo District, Sri Lanka. Located around 12 km south to the Colombo city, near Dehiwala - Maharagama road, the temple attracts hundreds of devotees daily and is famou ...
is a Buddhist temple situated in Bellanwila, Colombo District, Sri Lanka. Located around 12 km south to the
Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
city, near Dehiwala–Maharagama road, the temple attracts hundreds of devotees daily and is famous for its annual Esala Perehera festival which usually takes place in the month of August or September. One of the most venerated Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. *Nawa Polonnaru Gal Viharaya – Kanumuldeniye Sri Dharmashoka Thero, the construction of replicas of all the statues of the Gal Viharaya, Polonnaruwa that started in 1982, has been completed by now. The opening of the Samadhi Buddha statue coincides with the 2600 Sambuddhatwa Jayanthi celebrations. Those Buddha statues are constructed at the Nawa Polonnaru Gal Viahraya, Dehiwala following the original scale of the statue at the Gal Viharaya, Polonnaruwa and were declared open by Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.


Hindu Temples

* Sri Venkateshwara MAHA Vishnu Moorthy Kovil is next to Nedimala and is located in Dehiwala. * Sri Anjaneyar Kovil is located in the Dehiwala-Mount lavinia area of Colombo. It is about 30–45 mins from the main area of Colombo. * Sri Muthumari Amman Thiru Kovil, Abeysekara Rd Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Total distance main road from to kovil 802.89m


Churches

* St. Mary's Church – On September 13, 1834, six Catholic laymen from the congregation of St. Sylvester's church, now St. Anthony's Church, Galkissa came to Dehiwala in search of a piece of land to build a church. A devout Catholic, Muhandiram B. Bastian Mendis gifted them half an acre of land. The foundation stone was laid and on February 4, 1835 the church was dedicated to Our Lady of Good Voyage, says one of the Jubilee Secretaries Nigel de Lile. *
Christ Church, Galkissa Christ Church, (also known as the Church of the Open Door) is an Anglican church in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia in Sri Lanka. The church is located on Colombo- Galle main road ( A2) approximately away from the Dehiwala junction. It was consecrated on ...
– According to the historian Valentyn, the earliest reference to a church in Galkissa is in 1705 when there was a pretty good church, roofed with tiles and built upon 10 masonry and 20 stone pillars, taken from the heathen temple of Pepiliyana with a wall of clay three and a half feet high. With the main entrance from Galle Road, when the Rev. Felix Dias Abeysinghe was Vicar, the main door of the Church was opened, never to be closed again on 6 June 1959, and Christ Church, Galkissa became the “Church of the open door.”


Mosques

* Muhiyadeen Grand Jumu'ah Mosque (
Dehiwala Dehiwala is a suburban area in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It lies within the administrative boundaries of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council. It is known for the zoo which houses thousands of animals and hundreds of species. 2019 Easter Sunday a ...
Grand
Mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
) is the largest Mosque located in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Area.


Attractions

*
National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka (also called Dehiwala Zoo or Colombo Zoo) is a zoo, zoological garden in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka, founded in 1936. It is home to various birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians. Th ...
(also called Colombo Zoo or Dehiwala Zoo) is a
zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoo ...
logical garden in Dehiwala, Sri Lanka, founded in 1936. Its sprawling areas are host to a variety of animals and birds. The zoo exhibits animals but also places an emphasis on animal conservation and welfare, and education. * Mount Lavinia Beach is Sri Lanka's main sea-bathing spot. Here, depending on season, the waves can be swimmable and it'\ is host to some amazing sunsets. The waters are swimmable only at certain times of the year and can be very rough, with undertow. From there you can cross the rail-tracks, past the three-legged dog and Golden Mile restaurant, and you're on the beach. Among the things that are sold there are swimsuits, inflatable balls, sour mango, and manioca chips. The strip also boasts of high-end restaurants like Lavinia Breeze, Long Feng, Steamboat, Belize, etc. * The Sri Lanka Air Force Museum (SLAF Museum) is the museum of the Sri Lanka Air Force, and its predecessor, the Royal Ceylon Air Force. Open to the public, the museum is at the SLAF Ratmalana and is maintained by the Sri Lanka Air Force. Notable items include the medals and sword of Air Vice Marshal E. R. Amarasekara, the first Ceylonese Commander of the Air Force. The museum also has remnants of Japanese aircraft shot down over Ceylon during World War 2 and artifacts from the LTTE aircraft shot down during the Suicide Air Raid on Colombo. An Austin Fire Fighting Vehicle and a Shorland armoured car used by the Sri Lanka Air Force is exhibited as well. * Attidiya Bird Sanctuary, just outside Colombo, lie the marshy lands of Attidiya Bird Sanctuary. Bordering the famous Bellanwila Buddhist Temple; the sanctuary has rich and diverse birdlife, despite its comparatively smaller area. The Attidiya Bird Sanctuary is well known for its migratory and endemic water birds; but is also a great place to watch butterflies.


Government and law enforcement

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is a suburb of
Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
Metropolitan Area, with a
Municipal Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
form of government. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia's mayor and the council members are elected through local government elections held once in five years. The city government provides sewer, road management and waste management services, water, electricity and telephone utility services the council liaises with the road development authority, water supply and drainage board, the Ceylon electricity board and telephone service providers. ''There are 2 Divisional Secretary in the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia area'' * Dehiwala Divisional Secretariat * Ratmalana Divisional Secretariat The Sri Lanka Police the main law enforcement agency of the island liaise with the municipal council, but is under the control of the Ministry of Defence of the central government. As with most Sri Lankan cities, the magistrate court handles felony crimes, the district court handles civil cases. There are 3 police stations within the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia area * Dehiwala Police Station * Mount Lavinia Police Station * Kohuwala Police Station


Transport


Bus

Colombo has an extensive public transport system based on
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
es operated both by private operators and the government-owned Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB). The primary bus terminals within the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia — Dehiwala Bus Terminal, Mount Lavinia Bus Terminal and Ratmalana Bus Terminal handle local services.


Rail

Train transport in the city is limited since most trains are meant for transport to and from the city rather than within it and are often overcrowded. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia situated in the Coastal Line of Sri Lanka Railway which runs from
Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
towards Matara.


Road

The road network in Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia consists of three classes of roads. Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia lie along the
Galle Galle ( si, ගාල්ල, translit=Gālla; ta, காலி, translit=Kāli) (formerly Point de Galle) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Southern ...
Road artery in the West of the city, which runs along the coast to the south of the country. It is the gateway to the
Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
Metro City from the Southern part of Sri Lanka. * A2 highway connects Colombo with
Galle Galle ( si, ගාල්ල, translit=Gālla; ta, காலி, translit=Kāli) (formerly Point de Galle) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Southern ...
and Matara * B84 highway connects Colombo with
Horana Horana ( si, හොරණ, , ta, ஹொரணை) is a town in Kalutara District, in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. It is on the A8 highway between Panadura and Ratnapura, away from Ratnapura and away from Panadura. Horana is connected ...
* Hill Street connects Dehiwala With Boralesgamuwa and Maharagama * Hospital Road connects with Nugegoda * Marine Drive


Air

Ratmalana Airport Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana ( si, කොළඹ ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ, රත්මලාන, translit=Koḷam̆ba Jātyantara Guvantoṭupaḷa, Ratmalāna; ta, கொழும்பு ...
is the city's airport, located 15 km (9.3 mi) south of the Colombo city centre and 2 km from Dehiwala junction. It commenced operating in 1935 and was the country's first international airport until it was replaced by Bandaranaike Airport in 1967. Ratmalana Airport now primarily services domestic flights, aviation training and international corporate flights.


Other

Other means of transport includes the
taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...
s.These cab services are run by private companies and are metered.


Education

Education institutions in Colombo have a long history. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia has many of the prominent public schools in the country, some of them government-owned and others private. Certain urban schools of Sri Lanka have some religious alignment; this is partly due to the influence of British who established Christian missionary schools. Colombo has many International Schools that have come up in the recent years.


Schools

*
S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia , motto_translation = Be Thou Forever , song = Thomian Song , athletics = Yes , sports = Yes , nickname = Thora , denomination = Anglican , patron ...
*Holy Family Convent, Dehiwela *Methodist College, Dehiwala *Girls High School, Mount Lavinia *Hejaaz International School, Mount Lavinia *Alethea International, Dehiwala *Presbyterian Girls School, Dehiwala *Colombo Hindu College, Ratmalana *St. Mary's College, Dehiwala *Central College, Dehiwala * Science College, Mount Lavinia *Buddhist Girls' College, Mount Lavinia *Gateway International School, Dehiwala *Lalith Athulathmudali College, Mount Lavinia *Lead The Way Girls’ International School


Higher Educational Centres

*Advanced Technological Institute, Waidya Road, Dehiwala *Vocational Training Centre, Dehiwala *
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) ( Sinhala: ජෙනරාල් ශ්‍රිමත් ජෝන් කොතලාවල ආරක්ෂක විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය ''General Sir John Kotelawala'' ''Ar ...
*Technical College, Ratmalana *Civil Aviation Training Center *BCAS Mount Campus *Metropolitan College *Lanka Bible College & Seminary


Notable residents

* Chandima Gomes, researcher and consultant on lightning protection *
Ranil Abeynaike Ranil Gemunu Abeynaike (12 February 1955 – 21 February 2012) was a Sri Lankan cricketer. Abeynaike was a right-handed batsman who bowled slow left-arm orthodox. Born at Mount Lavinia, he was educated at S. Thomas' College Mount Lavinia, in th ...
(1955–2012), cricketer * Uthum Herat (1957–2009), Deputy Governor Central Bank of Sri Lanka *
Devaka Fernando Devaka Fernando is a Sri Lankan physician and academic. He was president of the Osteoporosis Society of Sri Lanka and the Founding Professor of Medicine at the University of Sri Jayawardanapura. Education Fernando was educated at Dean Row S ...
, physician * R. D. Gunaratne, academic * Desmond Fernando (1930–2012) physician (1959–2010), President College of General Practitioners *
Marvan Atapattu Deshabandu Marvan Samson Atapattu (born 22 November 1970) is a Sri Lankan cricket coach and former cricketer who played for 17 years for Sri Lanka. Considered one of the most technically sound batsman in his era, Atapattu has scored six double ...
, cricketer *
Arittha R Wikramanayake Arittha R Wikramanayake is an attorney at law specialising in corporate law, securities law and trade law. Family Wikramanayake's family association with law can be traced back to Crown Proctorship in Galle in 1848. Education school Like his br ...
, attorney *
Elanga Wikramanayake Deshamanya Elanga Devapriya Wikramanayake (known to many as ''E.D. Wikramanayake'') was a Sri Lankan lawyer who served as the Solicitor General of Sri Lanka. Early life and education His father was E. B. Wikramanayake, QC the Minister of Justic ...
, Solicitor General *
Eric Wikramanayake Eric D. Wikramanayake is a Sri Lankan conservationist. Early life and education Born to Elanga Wikramanayake, a lawyer. His brothers are Arittha R Wikramanayake and Athula Wikramanayake. His grandfather was E. B. Wikramanayake. Educated a ...
, conservationist * Gayesha Perera (Actress, Beauty Queen, Politician) * Vivien Leigh in 1953 while filming ''
Elephant Walk ''Elephant Walk'' is a 1954 American drama film produced by Paramount Pictures, directed by William Dieterle, and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Dana Andrews, Peter Finch and Abraham Sofaer.It is based upon the 1948 novel ''Elephant Walk'' by "Robe ...
''


References

{{Authority control Populated places in Western Province, Sri Lanka