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36-526: Beruwala ( Sinhala : බේරුවල Tamil : பேருவளை ) is a large town in Kalutara District , Western Province, Sri Lanka , governed by an Urban Council . The town covers a total area of approximately 15 km (5.8 sq mi) and is located on the south-west coast of Sri Lanka, 60 km (37 mi) south of Colombo. The name Beruwala is derived from the Sinhalese word for the place where

72-662: A Dravidian origin for this word. ), dola for pig in Vedda and offering in Sinhala. Other common words are rera for wild duck, and gala for stones (in toponyms used throughout the island, although others have also suggested a Dravidian origin). There are also high frequency words denoting body parts in Sinhala, such as olluva for head, kakula for leg, bella for neck and kalava for thighs, that are derived from pre-Sinhalese languages of Sri Lanka. The oldest Sinhala grammar, Sidatsan̆garavā , written in

108-545: A brief period during the 14th century. Vathimi Raja was a son of Buvanekabahu I, who married a Muslim spouse from Beruwala, the daughter of one of the chiefs. Vathimi Raja was first seen by the Arab traveler Ibn Batuta during his visit to Sri Lanka in 1344 while Vathimi Raja's son Parakrama Bahu II (Alkeshwara II) was a Muslim while the lineage of Alkeshwara Kings was ended in 1410. The Vathimi Rajapura Housing Scheme in Beruwala

144-568: A cost of US$ 600 million, and Phase 3 will reach Kataragama. The alignment shifts inland after Beliatta to protect sensitive natural habitats along the coast and minimise damage to property. A feasibility study and an environment impact assessment for the Beliatta to Hambantota and Kataragama phases of construction has been approved by the Cabinet. Construction has not yet begun as of April 2019. Sri Lanka Railways operates passenger services on

180-598: A gem merchant and local philanthropist contributed much for the development of Islamic culture, tradition, and education in Beruwala, and he was also the founder of Naleemiah Institute of Islamic Studies. Beruwala is a predominantly Muslim town. Islam is the main religion of Beruwala. The population of Beruwala is predominantly Sri Lankan Moors with a negligible number of numerous other ethnic groups, including Sinhalese , Sri Lankan Tamils , and Burghers . Ethnicity according to Beruwala Urban Area (2007) Source: statistics.gov.lk Climate The climate in Beruwala

216-779: A period of prior bilingualism: "The earliest type of contact in Sri Lanka, not considering the aboriginal Vedda languages, was that which occurred between South Dravidian and Sinhala. It seems plausible to assume prolonged contact between these two populations as well as a high degree of bilingualism. This explains why Sinhala looks deeply South Dravidian for an Indo-Aryan language. There is corroboration in genetic findings." In addition to many Tamil loanwords , several phonetic and grammatical features also present in neighbouring Dravidian languages set modern spoken Sinhala apart from its Northern Indo-Aryan relatives. These features are evidence of close interactions with Dravidian speakers. Some of

252-463: Is a conspicuous example of the linguistic phenomenon known as diglossia . Sinhala ( Siṁhala ) is a Sanskrit term; the corresponding Middle Indo-Aryan ( Eḷu ) word is Sīhala . The name is a derivative of siṁha , the Sanskrit word for 'lion'. The name is sometimes glossed as 'abode of lions', and attributed to a supposed former abundance of lions on the island. According to

288-543: Is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka , who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. Sinhala is also spoken as the first language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, totalling about 2 million speakers as of 2001. It is written using the Sinhala script , which is a Brahmic script closely related to the Grantha script of South India. Sinhala

324-484: Is divided into four epochs: The most important phonetic developments of Sinhala include: According to Wilhelm Geiger , an example of a possible Western feature in Sinhala is the retention of initial /v/ which developed into /b/ in the Eastern languages (e.g. Sanskrit viṁśati "twenty", Sinhala visi- , Hindi bīs ). This is disputed by Muhammad Shahidullah who says that Sinhala Prakrit branched off from

360-413: Is divided into nine wards or divisions. Beruwala is twinned with: Sinhala language Sinhala ( / ˈ s ɪ n h ə l ə , ˈ s ɪ ŋ ə l ə / SIN -hə-lə, SING -ə-lə ; Sinhala: සිංහල , siṁhala , [ˈsiŋɦələ] ), sometimes called Sinhalese ( / ˌ s ɪ n ( h ) ə ˈ l iː z , ˌ s ɪ ŋ ( ɡ ) ə ˈ l iː z / SIN -(h)ə- LEEZ , SING -(g)ə- LEEZ ),

396-548: Is governed by an urban council. Beruwala Urban area was previously divided into two as Beruwala Western Urban Area and Beruwala Eastern Urban Area. It was during the year 1950 both Western and Eastern Urban areas were merged into one urban area initiated by M. A. Bakeer Markar who was a proctor of the Supreme Court at the time who also became the president of the Kalutara Bar Association and who became

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432-539: Is in the Coastal Line , connecting Colombo to Matara and Beliatta . Beruwala Fishery Harbour is in the coastal stretch of Beruwala which is a naturally protected area used by merchant vessels for hundreds of years as a Port . It is said that the current Fishery Harbour could have been used as a port since the British Ceylon period . The Fishery Harbour in Beruwala was initially constructed in 1965 by

468-412: Is one of the official and national languages of Sri Lanka, alongside Tamil . Along with Pali , it played a major role in the development of Theravada Buddhist literature. Early forms of the Sinhala language are attested as early as the 3rd century BCE. The language of these inscriptions, still retaining long vowels and aspirated consonants, is a Prakrit similar to Magadhi , a regional associate of

504-474: Is tropical. A significant amount of rainfall can be seen in Beruwala during the year. According to Köppen and Geiger, this climate is classified as Af. The average annual temperature is 26.3 °C | 79.3 °F in Beruwala. April being the warmest month, December has the lowest average temperature during the year in Beruwala. Beruwala is served by the A2 highway , which runs past the town. Beruwala railway station,

540-729: The Middle Indian Prakrits that had been used during the time of the Buddha . The most closely related languages are the Vedda language (an endangered, indigenous creole still spoken by a minority of Sri Lankans, mixing Sinhala with an isolate of unknown origin and from which Old Sinhala borrowed various aspects into its main Indo-Aryan substrate), and the Maldivian language . It has two main varieties, written and spoken, and

576-587: The UNESCO National Commission of Ceylon According to Wilhelm Geiger , Sinhala has features that set it apart from other Indo-Aryan languages. Some of the differences can be explained by the substrate influence of the parent stock of the Vedda language . Sinhala has many words that are only found in Sinhala, or shared between Sinhala and Vedda and not etymologically derivable from Middle or Old Indo-Aryan. Possible examples include kola for leaf in Sinhala and Vedda (although others suggest

612-578: The 10th century Prince Jamal-ud-din, the son of Sultan of Konya arrived in Beruwala to practice Unani medicine . Eventually, Unani medicine was spread to many other parts of Sri Lanka and Unani Physicians can still be found in Beruwala and around Sri Lanka at present. As a result of the relationship between the Muslims and the Sinhalese , Sri Lanka has had a Muslim Ruler called Vathimi Raja, also known as Vathimi Deiyo , who reigned in Kurunegala for

648-464: The 13th century CE, recognised a category of words that exclusively belonged to early Sinhala. The grammar lists naram̆ba (to see) and koḷom̆ba (fort or harbour) as belonging to an indigenous source. Koḷom̆ba is the source of the name of the commercial capital Colombo . The consistent left branching syntax and the loss of aspirated stops in Sinhala is attributed to a probable South Dravidian substratum effect. This has been explained by

684-696: The Ceylon Fisheries Corporation. And since 1972 the maintenance and operations of the Fishery Harbour is carried out by the Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation. Education institutions in Beruwala have a long history. Beruwala has many schools some of which are government-owned, and others are private. Beruwala has got the first and the oldest Muslim girls School in Sri Lanka which is Al Fasiyathul Nasriya Muslim Balika Navodaya Vidyalaya situated in

720-874: The Coast line, though extension is under construction to Hambantota and Kataragama. This line was the second railway line in Sri Lanka . Construction works started after Colombo–Kandy–Badulla Main Line . On 1 March 1877 first train up to Panadura was commenced. On 1 February 1878, trains ran up to Kalutara and one year after that on 1 February 1879 Wadduwa Station was declared open. On 22 September 1879 inaugural opening of Kalutara North and Kalutara South Stations and ran first train to Kalutara South. On 31 March 1890 line extended to Kalutara South to Aluthgama . Then up to Kosgoda on 8 September 1892 and Kosgoda to Ambalangoda on 15 November 1893. On 7 May 1894 British government completed

756-716: The Eastern Prakrits prior to this change. He cites the edicts of Ashoka , no copy of which shows this sound change. An example of an Eastern feature is the ending -e for masculine nominative singular (instead of Western -o ) in Sinhalese Prakrit. There are several cases of vocabulary doublets , one example being the words mæssā ("fly") and mækkā ("flea"), which both correspond to Sanskrit makṣikā but stem from two regionally different Prakrit words macchiā (Western Prakrits) and makkhikā (as in Eastern Prakrits like Pali ). In 1815,

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792-521: The Island. Beruwala was named "Berbereen" in the past in honor of Yusuf bin Ahmad al-Kawneyn who is also known as Shaykh Abu Barakat al Barbari, a Somali Muslim scholar and a traveler who founded the city. As a result of Arabs arriving and settling down in the western coastal areas of Sri Lanka such as Beruwala between the 10th to 12th centuries AD, Beruwala became a popular city for Unani medicine . During

828-419: The beaches on the city's west coast, passing many commuter rail stations, such as Slave Island . It passes Panadura before reaching Kalutara . The commuter rail services end as the line continues south along the coast towards Galle. Galle station is designed as a terminus station. Thus trains have to back out of the station to continue towards Matara and Beliatta . Beliatta is the current terminus of

864-706: The chairman of Beruwala Urban Council in the year 1950. The chairman and council members are elected through local government elections held once in four years. During the past, the Council has been controlled by the United National Party and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party . Following the 2018 Local Authority elections, an independent alignment supported by former chairmen Mazahim Mohamed, Marjan Faleel MP and former chairman of Beruwala UC, and Milfer Caffoor former chairman of Beruwala UC won

900-681: The chronicle Mahāvaṃsa , written in Pali, Prince Vijaya of the Vanga Kingdom and his entourage merged in Sri Lanka with later settlers from the Pandya kingdom . In the following centuries, there was substantial immigration from Eastern India, including additional migration from the Vanga Kingdom (Bengal), as well as Kalinga and Magadha . This influx led to an admixture of features of Eastern Prakrits. The development of Sinhala

936-536: The coastal area in Maradana, Beruwala. The school was heavily damaged by the tsunami-Indian Ocean earthquake and was repaired subsequently. An Islamic University is situated in Beruwala which is known as Naleemiah Institute of Islamic Studies also known as Jamiah Naleemiah was established in 1974 which provides seven years of Islamic Curriculum along with the Government curriculum. Local government Beruwala

972-483: The coastal line. Rajadhani Express operates a premium service on certain Sri Lanka Railways trains on the coastal line, in partnership with Sri Lanka Railways. The coastal line has a gauge of 5 ft 6 in ( 1,676 mm ) broad gauge . The coastal line is not electrified. Regular services run on diesel power. However, there are plans to electrify the commuter-rail network, within

1008-411: The construction works to Galle . After nearly a year and half later on 17 December 1895 train services to Matara commenced. In the mid-twentieth century, the coastal line experienced many changes to accommodate growing traffic. Galle Station was upgraded with better facilities and modern architecture. Express trains began serving the line, including the now celebrated Ruhunu Kumari . Along with

1044-479: The elections. Mazahim Mohamed was subsequently appointed the chairman and Munawar Rafaideen as vice chairman of Beruwala Urban Council. The Council Government provides sewer, road, and waste management services. The urban council liaises with the water supply and drainage board, the Ceylon electricity board and telephone service providers for water, electricity, and telephone utility services. City limits Beruwala

1080-611: The features that may be traced to Dravidian influence are: ඒක ēka it අලුත් aḷut new කියලා kiyalā having-said මම mama I දන්නවා dannavā know ඒක අලුත් කියලා මම දන්නවා ēka aḷut kiyalā mama dannavā it new having-said I know "I know that it is new." ඒක ēka it අලුත් aḷut new ද da Q කියලා kiyalā having-said මම mama I දන්නේ Coastal Line (Sri Lanka) The Coastal line begins at Maradana Station and runs west towards Colombo Fort . It then turns south and runs through much of Colombo parallel to

1116-607: The island of Ceylon came under British rule . During the career of Christopher Reynolds as a Sinhalese lecturer at the School of African and Oriental Studies, University of London , he extensively researched the Sinhalese language and its pre-1815 literature. The Sri Lankan government awarded him the Sri Lanka Ranjana medal for his work. He wrote the 377-page An anthology of Sinhalese literature up to 1815 , selected by

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1152-589: The longest on Sri Lanka's railway network. There is also a 615 meter long tunnel at Kekanadura. The maximum track speed is 120 km/h (75 mph). The Matara–Beliatta extension with four new railway stations and four halting places opened to traffic on 8 April 2019, the first new railway built in Sri Lanka since independence from Great Britain in 1948. Phase 2 will serve the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port in Hambantota at

1188-604: The rails and sleepers to ensure smoother and safer operation. The previously 3-hours-and-forty-minute travel time between Colombo and Matara has been reduced to just two hours. The railway is being extended from Matara to Kataragama in the Southern Railway project. Phase 1 extended the railway 26.8 km from Matara to Beliatta at a cost of US$ 278 million. The China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation broke ground on Phase 1 in 2013. The line includes two bridges of 1.5 km and 1.04 km in length,

1224-619: The rest of the railway network, diesel traction replaced steam locomotives on all services. The railway line was severely affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. A train was swept off the track, killing more than 1500, in the worst rail disaster in history. In 2011–2012, the Coastal Line underwent complete reconstruction between Kalutara and Matara, to upgrade the track. The line was upgraded to be able to handle trains at 100 km/h (62 mph), allowing for shorter journey times and smoother service. The upgrade included replacing

1260-535: The sail is lowered. It marks the spot for the first Muslim settlement on the island, established by a Somali Sheikh Yusuf bin Ahmad al-Kawneyn . The town was originally named Berbereen in honour and respect of the Somali Shaikh. The Chinese also traded here and Beruwala was known to them as Piehlo-li. The first Muslim settlement of Sri Lanka was in Beruwala which is situated in the Western coastal area of

1296-579: Was built in memory of Vathimi Raja and opened in the 1980's by the local Member of Parliament Alhaj M. A Bakeer Markar when he was then Speaker of the Parliament . M. A Bakeer Markar was once the acting Head of State of Sri Lanka , for a brief period in 1981, when President J. R. Jayewardene and Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa left for England to attend the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer . Alhaj M. I. M Naleem,

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