Town of Kurunegala

Legend & History

Legend has it that these rocks were formed during a time of severe drought, when a witch converted animals threatening the town’s water supply into black rock. The largest of these rocks, Ethagala, literally translates to “Elephant Rock” and is visible throughout town with its 88 foot Buddha statue sitting atop.

Kurunegala has its place in the history books as an ancient capital to four generations’ of Sinhalese Kings, for a period of nearly half a century between 1272 to 1335. Surrounding the town nearby are several notable sites of historic interest, including Panduwasnuwara, Ridi Viharaya (The Silver Temple), and Arankele Monastery. I shall be exploring them later and covering each in its own independent article.

Historic Clock Tower

The most prominent monument located in the downtown vicinity is the local Clock Tower. Erected in 1922 as a tribute to soldiers of World War I, the tower’s original inscription read “This Clock Tower was erected in memory of those who went from the North Western province at the call of duty and gave their lives for the empire in the World War in 1914–1918″. Later in 1945, the tower was also dedicated to soldiers of World War II and this is reflected in the inscription today.

Colorful Markets

Adjacent to the Clock Tower is the town’s Central Marketplace selling an array of fresh produce to packaged consumer goods. Walking down its open hallways, I was treated to a smorgasbord of color providing some wonderful photography subjects. My next venue was the “Mahajana Pola”, only a short bicycle ride away. The Pola is a public marketplace where farmers from nearby villagers bring their produce for sale and is a common sight at most towns across Sri Lanka. In Kurunegala it occurs bi-weekly on Sundays and Wednesdays and is certainly worth the visit for photography buff. Fresh tomatoes, bananas, onions and other produce on display provided some vivid natural colors to treat my Canon 450D.

Finally a quick shout-out to my friend Gamini, the Electrician. As I was taking pictures of the town, he walked up, introduced himself and insisted I also one of him for my “magazine”. Gamini, gallery picture #7 is for you– Cheers!

Discover More

Explore more within the Kurunegala district by visiting some of its historic sites, or experience the adventure of hiking through its mountainous outcrops. I have explore some of these in the posts below:

1. Yapahuwa Rock Fortress, posted 10th December 2010
2. Climbing Elephant rock (Ethagala), posted 30th October 2010