Kalutara ( si, කළුතර, ta, களுத்துறை) or Kalutota is a major city in Kalutara District,

Western Province, Sri Lanka The Western Province ( si, බස්නාහිර පළාත ''Basnāhira Paḷāta''; ta, மேல் மாகாணம் ''Mael Mākāṇam'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the c ...

. It is also the administrative capital of Kalutara District. It is located approximately south of the capital

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 ...

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

Kalu Ganga Kalu Ganga ( si, කළු ගඟ; literally: Black River) is a river in Sri Lanka. Measuring in length, the river originates from Sri Padhaya and reach the sea at Kalutara. The Black River flows through the Ratnapura and the Kalutara District a ...

, 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 tropical lands surrounding the Indian Ocean. Its origin is uncertain due to widespread prehistoric cultivation. ...

s, a fruit introduced from

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

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

Kalutara fort Kalutara fort ( si, කලුතර බලකොටුව ''Kaluthara Balakotuwa''; ta, களுத்துறைக் கோட்டை, translit=Kaḷuttuṟaik Kōṭṭai) was built by the Portuguese in 1622. It was located in Kalutara, ...

) 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.

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 Servic ...

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.

Demographic

Kalutara is

Sinhalese Sinhala may refer to: * Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka * Sinhalese people * Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka * Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language ** Sinha ...

majority city.

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

are second largest group in the city. There are also small numbers of Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils. Others include Malay and Burger.

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

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 3 storeys-high dagoba at Kalutara Vihara is believed to be the only Buddha Stupa 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 Bodhi tree (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 to be one of the 32 saplings o ...

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 tradition, he was born in L ...

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

Anuradhapura Anuradhapura ( si, අනුරාධපුරය, translit=Anurādhapuraya; ta, அனுராதபுரம், translit=Aṉurātapuram) is a major city located in north central plain of Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central ...

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 Richmond Castle is an Edwardian mansion, located near Kalutara. Built between 1900 and 1910, it was formally the country seat of Mudaliyar Don Arthur de Silva Wijesinghe Siriwardena. The building is currently owned by the Public Trustee and ope ...

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 Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temple 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#Study Centers of OUSL, Open University of Sri Lanka. A number of the schools and colleges are listed below: * Gnanodaya Maha Vidyalaya, Kalutara * Holy Cross College, Kalutara, Holy Cross College, Kalutara * Holy Family Convent, Kalutara * JMC International College, Kalutara * Kalutara Vidyalaya, Kalutara * Kalutara Balika National School, Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya, Kalutara * Muslim Central College, Kalutara * Tissa Central 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 Line (Sri Lanka), Coastal or Southern Rail Line (connecting

through to Matara, Sri Lanka, Matara).

Road

Kalutara is located on the A2 highway (Sri Lanka), A2 highway connecting Colombo, via Galle through to Wellawaya via Matara, Sri Lanka, 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.

References

External links

{{Authority control Kalutara, Populated places in Kalutara District