Wellawatta is a neighbourhood 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 me ...

, Sri Lanka. It lies immediately south of Bambalapitiya and is classified as zone 6 within the Colombo Municipal region. The town begins at the old Dutch canal just before the

Savoy Cinema The Savoy Cinema is the oldest operational cinema in Dublin, and it is the preferred cinema in Ireland for film premières. History The cinema was built in 1929 by Meagher & Hayes, on the site of the old Granville Hotel. The luxurious auditori ...

and extends south to the same canal that reaches the sea just before the junction at Hospital Road where

Dehiwela 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 ...

begins. It is bounded on the west by the waters of the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by ...

and extends to Pamankada where Havelock Road forks and meets the Sri Saranankara Road bridge, which stretches over the Dutch canal, extending towards Kohuwala-Hospital Road junction on Dutugemunu Street. The name ''Wellawatta'' means 'Sandy Garden' in Sinhalese and 'White Garden' in Tamil. During the colonial period, much of present day Wellawatta was made of coconut estates owned by European families, particularly that of Charlemont Jonathan Gauder. Many of the roads and place names bear the names of the Gauder family including Charlemont, Frederica, Collingwood, Alexandra and Frances. The landmark Savoy cinema was built by CV De Silva in the 1940s. In the 1980s, the area drew many Tamils fleeing the civil war from the north of the country. Today, Wellawatta is a built up commercial and residential area with a small amount of light industry. Posh new apartment complexes coexist with slums particularly along the canal areas.

Schools

* Amal International School *Saiva Mangaiyar Vidyalayam *Arethusa College, Colombo 06 *St. Lawrence's Convent, Colombo 06 * Lumbini College (Primary section) *St. Clares

Art and Religious centers

* Sri Dharmodaya Temple * Sri Jayasinharamaya Temple * Boddhirukkaramaya Temple * Colombo Tamil Association * Ramakrishna Mission * Mayurapathhy Amman Kovil * Muhiyadeen Jumu’ah Mosque * Sri Pathrakali Amman Kovil * Wellawatta Jumu’ah Mosque * St. Lawrence's Church, Wellawatte

References

{{Suburbs of Colombo Populated places in Western Province, Sri Lanka