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Moratuwa () is a large municipality on the southwestern coast 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, ...
, near
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia (; ), population 245,974 (2012), is a large municipality in Sri Lanka, covering . It lies south of the Colombo Municipal Council area and is separated from it by the Dehiwala canal which forms the northern boundary of DMMC ...
. It is situated on the
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 ...
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 ...
(Galle road) main highway, south of the centre of Colombo. Moratuwa is surrounded on three sides by water, except in the north of the city, by the Indian Ocean on the west, the Lake Bolgoda on the east and the Moratu river on the south. According to the 2012 census, the suburb had a population of 168,280. Moratuwa is the birthplace of Veera
Puran Appu Weerahannadige Francisco Fernando, colloquially known by his nickname Puran Appu ( Sinhala පුරන් අප්පු) is one of the notable figures of Sri Lanka's post-Kandyan history. Regarded colloquially as a national hero, his staunch ...
, a resistance fighter against British rule in
Matale Matale ( Sinhala: මාතලේ, , , ) is a major city in Central Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative capital and largest urbanised city of Matale District. Matale is also the second largest urbanised and populated city in Central P ...
, the philanthropist Sir
Charles Henry de Soysa Charles Henry de Soysa Dharmagunawardana Vipula Jayasuriya Karunaratna Disanayaka popularly known as Charles Henry de Soysa, JP (3 March 1836 – 29 September 1890) was a Ceylonese entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a pioneering planter, i ...
and the musician Pandit
W. D. Amaradeva Sri Lankabhimanya Wannakuwattawaduge Don Albert Perera (; ; 5 December 1927 – 3 November 2016), better known by his adopted name Amaradeva, was a prominent Sri Lankan Sinhalese vocalist, violinist and composer. Primarily using traditional in ...
.


Suburb structure

Moratuwa consists of 24 main areas: Angulana, Borupana, Dahampura, Egoda Uyana, Idama, Indibedda, Kadalana, Kaduwamulla, Kaldemulla, Katubedda, Katukurunda, Koralawella, Lakshapathiya, Lunawa, Molpe, Moratumulla, Moratuwella, Puwakaramba, Rawathawatta, Soysapura, Thelawala, Uswatta, Uyana and Willorawatta.


History

Both Moratuwa and Lakshapathiya are mentioned in the 15th century poem ''Kokila Sandesha'', written by a monk poet of Devundara to celebrate Prince Sapumal during the reign of King
Parakramabahu VI Parâkramabâhu VI (, ) was the first king of Kingdom of Kotte, Kotte, ruling from 1410 until his death in 1467. He is the last great king in Sri Lanka who managed to unite the island under one flag. His rule is famous for the renaissance in Sri ...
. Lunawa, Uyana and Rawathawatte are mentioned in 16th century
chronicle A chronicle (, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events ...
s and church records of
martyrs A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...
, the latter commemorates Revatha Thera, the chief incumbent of a temple built by King
Vijayabahu I Vijayabahu the Great (born ''Prince Keerthi'') () (ruled 1055–1110), also known as Vijayabahu I, was a medieval king of Sri Lanka. Born to a royal bloodline, Vijayabahu grew up under Chola occupation. He assumed rulership of the Ruhuna principa ...
.The De Soyas of Alfred House by Rupa de Soysa, p.9 (Karunaratne & Sons) Lakshapathiya, meaning ''commanding a hundred-thousand'', was once the land awarded to Lak Vijaya Singu, a Commander of King
Nissanka Malla Nissanka Malla (), also known as Keerti Nissanka and Kalinga Lokeshvara was a king of Polonnaruwa (Sri Lanka) who ruled the country from 1187 to 1196. He is known for his architectural constructions such as the Nissanka Lata Mandapaya, Hatadage a ...
. Subsequent to the Wijayaba Kollaya and the division of the
Kotte Kingdom The Kingdom of Kotte (, ), named after its capital, Kotte, was a Sinhalese kingdom that flourished in Sri Lanka during the 15th century. Founded by Parakramabahu VI with the help of the Ming, the Kingdom managed to conquer the Jaffna kingdo ...
, the hamlet of Koralawella was created as part of Raigam Korale, which again became part of Moratuwa in 1735, however losing Ratmalana and parts of Borupane to Dehiwala. The name Moratuwa is derived from "Mura Atuwa" meaning ''sentry turret'' in Sinhalese which once existed at Kaldamulla.


Industries

Industries in Moratuwa include the manufacture of furniture, rubber products, batteries, transformers, and wood handicrafts. This suburb is also a fishing and trading center. Of these, Moratuwa is most well known for its furniture.Colombo District - Moratuwa
Kapruka Website. Retrieved 20 November 2015


Education

The
University of Moratuwa The University of Moratuwa (also referred as Moratuwa University) ( ''Moraṭuwa Wiśwawidyālaya'', ) is a public university in Sri Lanka. It is located on the bank of the Bolgoda Lake in Katubedda, Moratuwa, a suburb of Sri Lanka's capital C ...
, a leading technological university in
South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...
is situated on the banks of the
Bolgoda Lake Bolgoda Lake or Bolgoda River (, ) is a freshwater lake in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, straddling the border between Colombo District and Kalutara District. It consists of two main bodies of water, a northern portion and a southern portion ...
in Katubedda,
Moratuwa Moratuwa () is a large municipality on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, near Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. It is situated on the Galle–Colombo (Galle road) main highway, south of the centre of Colombo. Moratuwa is surrounded on three sides ...
. The University of Moratuwa is an independent state university, which was established on 22 December 1978 under the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978 and operates under the general direction of the University Grants Commission. The Ceylon - German Technical Training Institute (also known as CGTTI or German Tech) is an engineering college located in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. It is under the preview of the
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...
. Industrial Engineering Training Institute (IETI) is one of a national institute located in Moratuwa. IETI belongs to the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) as well as it is one of the 92 Vocational Colleges in Sri Lanka High schools in the area are Moratu Maha Vidyalaya, Prince of Wales' College, St. Sebastian's College, Princess of Wales' College, Our Lady of Victories Convent, St. Sebastian's Girls' School, Weera Puran Appu Model School, Methodist High School - Puwakaramba, Janajaya Vidyalaya, De Soysa Maha Vidyalaya, Podujaya Vidyalaya - Angulana, Rawathawaththa Roman Catholic School, Sri Sunanda Upananda Maha Vidyalaya - Egodauyana, St. Anthony's School - Kadalana, Koralawella Roman Catholic School, Sri Saddarmodaya Vidyalaya - Koralawella, Arafath Muslim Maha Vidyalaya - Egodauyana Modara, Willorawatte Gnanissara Buddhist Vidyalaya, Shikshadana Maha Vidyalaya - Lakshapathiya, Rawathawaththa Methodist College, Egodauyana Junior School and Kusinara International School. As primary schools are Bodhiraja Vidyalaya - Katubedda, Saleena Primary School - Kaldemulla, Moratumulla Lanka Saba Vidyalaya, St. Mary's College - Katukurunda, Thilaka Vidyalaya - Koralawella, Sri Nagasena Vidyalaya - Koralawella, Sugathadharmadhara Vidyalaya - Egodauyana and Uyana Junior School.


Attractions

The Bolgoda lake situated in Moratuwa is the largest natural lake of Sri Lanka. It is a tributary of 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 originates at
Adam's Peak Adam's Peak is a conical sacred mountain located in central Sri Lanka.Capper, Daniel (2022), ''Roaming Free Like a Deer: Buddhism and the Natural World,'' Cornell University Press. It is well known for the ''Sri Pada'' (; ), a rock formati ...
and is a popular resort for swimming, angling and boating. Bolgoda lake spreads, twisting from
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 loca ...
via Moratuwa and
Panadura Panadura (; ) is a main city in Kalutara District, Western Province, Sri Lanka, Western Province in Sri Lanka. It is located approximately south of Colombo. Panadura was an electoral district in Sri Lanka until 1989 and is surrounded all sides b ...
till it meets the sea at Wadduwa and Moratuwa via the Moratu ganga. Moratuwa is home to the oldest church dedicated to St. Sebastian and the Holy Emmanuel Church, which was once the tallest building in Sri Lanka. A monument to
Puran Appu Weerahannadige Francisco Fernando, colloquially known by his nickname Puran Appu ( Sinhala පුරන් අප්පු) is one of the notable figures of Sri Lanka's post-Kandyan history. Regarded colloquially as a national hero, his staunch ...
stands in the premises of the
Moratuwa Municipal Council The Moratuwa Municipal Council (, ) is the local council for Moratuwa, a large coastal city in Colombo District Colombo District ( ''kol̠am̆ba distrikkaya''; ''Koḻumpu Māvaṭṭam'') is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second ...
and a museum is housed at the Weera Puran Appu Vidyalaya.


Music

Moratuwa is famous for its music and is home to some well-known musicians such as
W. D. Amaradeva Sri Lankabhimanya Wannakuwattawaduge Don Albert Perera (; ; 5 December 1927 – 3 November 2016), better known by his adopted name Amaradeva, was a prominent Sri Lankan Sinhalese vocalist, violinist and composer. Primarily using traditional in ...
, C.T. Fernando,
M. S. Fernando Mahagamage Samson Fernando, (; 4 March 1931 - 9 April 1994) was a Sri Lankan singer and musician. He is a major player in the development of Baila music and was widely popular among Sri Lankan audiences commonly referred to as the "Baila Chakkraw ...
, Nihal Nelson, Priya Peiris ( La Bambas), Sunil Perera ( The Gypsies) and Niranjala Sarojini. The town also has a famous theme song, ''Punsada paaya Moratuwa dillenna

(meaning ''"Moratuwa in the splendour of the full moon"''), which is a staple at most musical events held in Moratuwa. Clarence Wijewardena also composed ''Moratuwa Moratuwa mea nomakena nama'' song in tribute to the town.


Sport

Moratuwa is famous for its notable cricket players, such as
Duleep Mendis Deshamanya Louis Rohan Duleep Mendis (born 25 August 1952), known as Duleep Mendis, is a Sri Lankan former cricketer and former captain of the team. Mendis captained Sri Lanka to their first Test series victory in 1985. He was primarily a speci ...
, Susil Fernando Roger Wijesuriya
Ajantha Mendis Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslow Mendis (; born 11 March 1985) better known as Ajantha Mendis, is a Sri Lankan former international cricketer who played for the Sri Lankan national cricket team in all three formats. He is also known as the "myster ...
, Amal Silva, Romesh Kaluwitharana,
Sajeewa De Silva Karunakalage Sajeewa Chanaka de Silva (born 11 January 1971) is a former Sri Lankan cricketer. A left-arm fast-medium bowler, he played eight Test matches and 38 One Day Internationals for Sri Lanka between 1996 and 2000. He made his Twenty20 ...
,
Dinusha Fernando Kandana Arachchige Dinusha Manoj Fernando (born 10 August 1979), or Dinusha Fernando, is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He studied at St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa. Domestic career ...
,
Lahiru Thirimanne Hettige Don Rumesh Lahiru Thirimanne, known as Lahiru Thirimanne (; born 9 August 1989) is a former Sri Lankan international cricketer, and a former ODI captain. He is a left-handed opening batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He had a ...
,
Prasanna Jayawardene Hewasandatchige Asiri Prasanna Wishvanath Jayawardene ( Sinhala: හේවාසන්දච්චිගේ ආසිරි ප්‍රසන්න විශ්වනාත් ජයවර්ධන) (born 10 September 1979), commonl ...
,
Angelo Perera Angelo Kanishka Perera (born 23 February 1990), or Angelo Perera, is a former professional cricketer, who played limited over cricket for Sri Lanka. He is a right-handed batsman and left-arm slow bowler who plays for Nondescripts Cricket Club. ...
,
Kusal Mendis Balapuwaduge Kusal Gimhan Mendis (born 2 February 1995) is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer who plays in all forms of the game and a former ODI captain of the national team. He only played sixteen first-class matches before playing for the na ...
,
Vishwa Fernando Muthuthanthrige Vishwa Thilina Fernando (born 18 September 1991), commonly as Vishwa Fernando, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who represents the national side in all three formats. He had his education in St. Sebastian's College, Morat ...
,
Amila Aponso Malmeege Amila Aponso, or Amila Aponso (born 23 June 1993) is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who played for the Sri Lanka cricket team. He played first-class cricket for Ragama Cricket Club. He is a past pupil of St. Sebastians College, ...
, Avishka Fernando, and Sadeera Samarawickrama An international cricket stadium,
De Soysa Stadium De Soysa International Cricket Stadium (formerly known as Tyronne Fernando Stadium) is a multi-use stadium in Moratuwa, in southwestern Sri Lanka. It is currently used mostly for cricket matches. The stadium holds 15,000 people and hosted its fi ...
(Tyronne Fernando Stadium) is situated in Moratuwa.


Demographics

Moratuwa is a Buddhist majority area.Moratuwa consisting of all ethnic and religious groups seen in Sri Lanka. This suburb has a highest percentage of Christian population after
Negombo Negombo (, ), also known as Punchi Romaya (Little Rome), is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in the Western Province, Sri Lanka, Western Province, from Colombo via the E03 expressway ...
city,which is significantly higher than the national average.


Public library

The Public library of Moratuwa Municipal Council “Janasetha Kala Ketha” at Galle Road, Katubedda, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka was opened in 1987. This was constructed by the funds raised by Moratuwa municipal council to the amount of rupees 15 laks and 50 laks by the Japanese organization “World Exposition Commemorative”. The library was constructed according to Japanese architecture. Among the other facilities provided by the main library are art and stories hour and Tamil language hour for children, Computer classes for children and adults, conference, lectures etc. Every year the library celebrates the literature month (September) and National reading month (October), conducting various activities to develop reading habits among the children. Janasetha Kala Ketha, the public library of Moratuwa, has been awarded as The Best Public Library in Colombo district in the years 2012 and 2013 and as The Best Public Library in the Western Province of the Island in 2012.


Transport

The main road transport link to Moratuwa is the Colombo-Galle Highway (Galle Road), which links the suburb from the North and South. Moratuwa is linked to the outside by four bridges, Old Moratuwa Bridge at the town centre, New Galle Road Bridge at Modara, Kospalana Bridge and Borupana Road Bridge, all across the Bolgoda Lake. The town is linked by Galle Road to the North at Ratmalana, to Panadura to the South and to Pilyandala in the East. Access to the Southern Expressway from Moratuwa is either through Kottawa or by Horana Road. There are two Sri Lanka Transport Board Depots in Moratuwa city as Moratuwa S.L.T.B Depot and Katubedda S.L.T.B Depot. The Coastal Railway Line from Colombo to Matara runs through Moratuwa along the coast. There are five Railway Stations in Moratuwa city. Railway Stations at Angulana, Lunawa, Moratuwa, Koralawella and Egodauyana serve residents of Moratuwa.


Architecture

Unlike most other cities in Sri Lanka, Moratuwa is characterised by many Christian schools and a large variety of church buildings, e.g. Anglican Holy Emmanuel Church which was built 1857–1860 in a
neogothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
style with a tall clock tower,Finn Ståhl: ''Ceylon - en reseguide'', p. 71. Stockholm 1977 the modern Methodist Church dating from 2016 in Moratuwella and St. Sebastian's Church, a neobaroque Roman Catholic church. Few buildings dating from colonial times are preserved, e.g. the Clock Tower and the Post Office. File:MoratuwaBahnhof.jpg, Moratuwa Railway Station File:MoratuwaGalleRoad.jpg, Galle Road File:MoratuwaGlockenturmRathaus.jpg, Clock tower and Urban Council File:MoratuwaPost.jpg, Post Office File:MoratuwaMethod.Kirche.jpg, Methodist Church in Moratuwella File:MoratuwaSt.Sebastian'sChurch.jpg, St. Sebastian's Church


References


Maps


Detailed map of Moratuwa vicinity and Sri Lanka


External links




Moratuwa City Details
{{Authority control Populated places in Colombo District Populated places in Western Province, Sri Lanka