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39-415: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte , commonly known as Kotte ( pronounced [ˈkoːʈeː] ), is the legislative capital of Sri Lanka . Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is located adjacent to the urban area of Sri Lanka's de facto economic, executive, and judicial capital, Colombo . The Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Municipal Council area is bounded in: The village of Darugama lay at the confluence of two streams,

78-550: A tropical rainforest climate ( Köppen : Af) more subject to the Intertropical Convergence Zone than the trade winds . Since there are a few cyclones , the climate is not purely equatorial but subequatorial, with little variation in temperatures throughout the course of the year. The city does feature wetter and drier months, with February on average being its driest month, seeing on average 63 mm (2.5 in) of precipitation. However, since none of

117-460: A 50,000 square metre (12 acre) island in the centre of the lake. The island (off Baddegana Road, Pita Kotte) had been used as a recreation and brawling spot for Portuguese soldiers in the last days of Kotte era, alcohol being banned from the Royal City. It had belonged to E. W. Perera and had housed a chicken farm prior to being vested in the state. On 29 April 1982, the new parliamentary complex

156-541: A Passenger boat service was being finalised and would commence adjacent to Parliament Junction at Bataramulla and end at the Wellawatte canal near Marine drive. Each journey would take around 30 minutes. It would have stations at the Kotte Marsh, Nawala , Open University , Apollo Hospital , Duplication road, Wellawatte and at St Peter's College, Colombo . The Sri Lanka Navy is conducting a pilot project between

195-633: A separate municipal structure, the Battaramulla Town Council. It was dissolved and the area is now administered by the Kaduwela Municipal Council. The Battaramulla District Office of Kaduwela municipal council is the administrative office of the area which is located on Pannipitiya Road. In Sri Lanka, an area is identified by the name of the main post office to which an area belongs. In that way, Battaramulla main post office (Located at Subhuthipura Road) belongs to

234-629: Is a list of cities which have historically served as the capital city of Sri Lanka and its predecessor states. When the island was divided during the Transitional period, multiple capital cities existed at one time. Battaramulla Battaramulla is adjacent to Kotte , which lay on the opposite side of the Diyawanna Oya. At the time of the Kotte Kingdom , the cooks at the royal palace would travel there daily by ferry across

273-473: Is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious urban centre. According to the census of 2012, the demographics by ethnicity and religion is as follows: The only main railway station is at Nugegoda , on the Kelani Valley Line . Also at Nugegoda is the main bus terminus. There are subsidiary bus stands at Pita Kotte. This urban area is well served by buses and there is a CTB bus depot at Udahamulla. In 2005,

312-546: Is a pastime that has increased in popularity in the area. The Waters Edge Country Club was an 11-hole golf course located at Battaramulla but has since closed. The Sri Lankan Parliament Building is located in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte near Battaramulla. A park called " Diyatha Uyana " is located at Polduwa junction, near the Waters Edge hotel. The park is constructed on marshy land on the banks of

351-688: Is a small nursing home in Park Lane, Welikada, much patronised by Maldivians . There are a number of state and private schools in Kotte. They are either "national schools" (run by the central government; Main School President's College, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte ), "government schools" (run by the Provincial Councils ), semi-government/private schools, or International schools (run by trusts and individuals; Gateway College Colombo

390-408: Is aimed at harnessing and developing the available talent and organizing the individual players into a cohesive team. It includes a football playground with a sprinkler system, gym and a host of other facilities. Other sports are mostly played in the numerous clubs and gyms , and include tennis, squash, billiards, horse riding, indoor cricket, badminton and table tennis. Horse riding can be pursued at

429-544: Is an example of the latter class of school). The oldest English school on the island is Sri Jayawardenepura Maha Vidyalaya , formerly known as Christian College , located in Pita Kotte. The Ananda Sastralaya at Pita Kotte is the oldest Buddhist school in the city, and Anula Vidyalaya , Nugegoda is the third-largest Buddhist girls school in South Asia, with over 5000 students. The Education Ministry as well as

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468-551: Is home to many departments and ministries, including the Department of Immigration Emigration, colloquially known as the passport office, Department for Registration of Persons (NIC Office), Suhurupaya, Home - Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Ministry of Lands, Registrar General's Department and Defence Headquarters Complex etc. are some of the offices located in Battaramulla. Golf

507-622: The Diyawanna Oya and the Kolonnawa Oya. As Darugama was a naturally secure place, it was not easy for enemies to enter it. Here, in the 13th century, a local chieftain, Nissanka Alagakkonara , built a Kotte , or fortress. Alagakkonara is mentioned by Ibn Batuta as ruling in Kurunegala , but other sources indicate that he was the Bandara (Guardian) of Raigama Korale (county) in the modern Kalutara District . Arya Chakravarthy's army

546-759: The expatriate community and a few select nationals; The Overseas School of Colombo (formerly the Overseas Children's School) has been relocated to Battaramulla from its previous site in Colombo 02. Sri Subhuthi Central College (national school), which is located at Robert Gunawardhana Mawatha is the main government school in the area. There are a number of government schools located in the area like Lanka Sabha Junior School (established in 1870), Indrajothi Vidyalaya (established in 1905), M. D. H. Jayawardhana Vidyalaya etc. A number of private international schools are also located in Battaramulla. After establishing

585-556: The 19th century. The archaeological remains were torn up and used as building materials (a process that continues)—some of it even ending up in the Victoria Bridge, across the Kelani River. The New Parliament was inaugurated on 29 April 1982. The buildings were built on reclaimed land, after a massive lake was formed by dredging the marshlands around the Diyawanna Oya . The new parliamentary buildings were built on Duwa,

624-534: The Batapotha Paddy Fields are at one end of the town. The National War Memorial in front of the Parliament complex is dedicated to all military personnel killed since World War I and police personnel killed due to terrorist activities. Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) War Memorial, situated at the entrance of Battaramulla Fork Art Center. Amaradeva Asapuwa (අමරදේව අසපුව/அமரதேவ மடாலயம்)

663-711: The Battaramulla urban council was dissolved and a small section of Battaramulla tagged onto the Kotte Urban Council. The Kotte Urban Council became the Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Municipal Council in 1997, with Chandra Silva as the first Mayor. There are 20 Members of the Municipal Council (MMCs), elected on proportional representation. There are 18 wards, but these are now merely polling divisions, without individual representation. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

702-486: The British invasion of the island, they built a church in 1850 in Battaramulla and called the village Thalangama . The invaders wanted to eliminate the name of the old village Battaramulla and mentioned the area as Thalangama in every legal document. However, the old Sinhalese Buddhist villagers wanted to protect the old village named Battaramulla. In 1887 a temple called Sri Sudharmaramaya was established in Battaramulla and

741-664: The Buddhist monks in the temple emphasized the importance of protecting the old name of the village, which belonged to the Kotte kingdom earlier. After establishing the postal service in Sri Lanka, the post office was established in Battaramulla called as Thalangama sub-post office. Sri Lanka gained independence on 4 February 1948, and in 1970 the sub-post office was promoted into the main post office called Battaramulla. The Battaramulla, Pelawatte , Koswatte and Kalapaluwawa areas, which comprise Battaramulla were previously governed by

780-602: The Colombo city. From Dehiwala town, which is located on the Colombo - Galle main road, Route 163 buses travel to Battaramulla. These buses come via Nugegoda and Kotte. From Kandy city or Kurunegala city, Route 17 - Panadura buses come more than 100 km from Kandy and Kurunegala via main towns like Peradeniya, Kadugannawa, Mawanella, Kegalle, Polgahawela, Allawwa, Warakapola, Nittambuwa and Kaduwela. From Panadura side, Route 17 - Kandy or Kurunegala buses travel to Battaramulla, and they come via Moratuwa, Rathmalana, Galkissa, Dehiwala, Nugegoda and Kotte. A government bus runs inside

819-559: The Department of Examinations is based in Kotte. A considerable number of the students living within the zone study at government owned colleges and International schools in Colombo. Located at Nawala is the Open University, Sri Lanka , and at Nugegoda is the University of Sri Jayewardenepura . Public Libraries are conveniently located, and can be found at Nugegoda and Rajagiriya . Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte features

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858-606: The Diyawanna Oya. It sits between the Parliamentary complex and the Diyawanna Oya at the Polduwa junction. The Battaramulla Folk Art Center contains a model of a Sri Lankan traditional village called "Ape Gama," or "our village." It is a replica of a traditional Sri Lankan village showcasing the industries and lifestyles of the era. This is located close to the parliament grounds. Akuregoda Lake (Thalangama Wewa) and

897-501: The Diyawanna Oya. The place they embarked was called bat-tota-mulla ('cooked rice-landing-corner', 'cooked rice' being a synonym for a meal), which became 'Battaramulla'. Kotiyagoda, a suburb of Battaramulla, derived its name from kotuwe-egoda ('the shore opposite the fortress'). This pattern was followed when the Parliament was shifted to the Doowa island in Kotte, several government offices being set up in Battaramulla thereafter. After

936-828: The EW Perera Park grounds at Welikada, Rajagiriya where a pavilion was constructed in the 1970s. However, when the grounds were destroyed by the JR Jayawardene regime in the late 1970s, the football clubs disappeared. Football continued to be played at the grounds at Obeysekerapura in Rajagiriya. In the 1990s, the Kotte Municipal Council constructed the Chandra Silva Stadium, to replace the EW Perera Grounds. Part of

975-660: The Open University and Wellawatte. The main hospital of area situated at Madivela known as Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital is a gift from the Japanese government. There is a dedicated Eye & ENT hospital at Rajagiriya , and another maternity hospital under construction in Nawala. A small private health centre, the Blue Cross Hospital at Rajagiriya, provides basic facilities for medical diagnostics, and there

1014-646: The Premadasa Riding School in Nugegoda. 6°54′39″N 79°53′16.21″E  /  6.91083°N 79.8878361°E  / 6.91083; 79.8878361 Capital of Sri Lanka The current legislative capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and the executive and judicial capital is Colombo . Over the course of the island's history, the national capital has been in several locations other than Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. [REDACTED] Sri Lanka portal The following

1053-522: The average monthly precipitation falls below 60 mm (2.4 in), Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte falls under the tropical rainforest climate category. Cricket is the most popular sport in this urban area as well as the country and is usually played in the grounds around the city. Association football was at one time the most popular sport in the Colombo area, although it was eclipsed by cricket after 1980. Four separate football clubs (Lido, Welikada Progress, Welikada Red Star and Welikada United) once used

1092-474: The borders of Battaramulla. Several public bus services travel to Battaramulla from Colombo City. Route 171 is the main public bus service. It starts at Colombo-Fort and ends at Kandawatta Junction (Palan Thuna Handiya). Route 152 buses come to Denzil kobbekaduwa Mawatha via Kolonnawa and Mulleriawa side. Battaramulla can also be reached by Route 170 - Athurugiriya, Route 190 - Meegoda, Route 174 Kottawa, Route 186 - Jayawadanagama and Route 177 - Kaduwela buses from

1131-505: The conquest of the Kingdom of Jaffna by Prince Sapumal (Sembahap Perumal), Kotte was given the epithet 'Sri Jayawardenepura' ('resplendent city of growing victory'). It became the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Kotte , which it remained until the end of the 16th century. From the ramparts to the magnificent three storied buildings that housed the kings palace, laterite and clay were the main raw material used in its construction. One of

1170-540: The elite and affluent moving into the area has contributed to an economic boom. The population of Battaramulla is 75,633 according to the GeoNames geographical database, the majority of whom are Sinhalese . By the early 1980s, there were many traditional villagers in the area, but the rapid increase of the land value in the area has caused them to sell their land and move to areas further from Colombo. The oldest International school in Sri Lanka, catering exclusively to

1209-435: The following villages mainly. Battaramulla Junction, Battaramulla South, Battaramulla North, Pelawatta, Koswatta, Subhuthipura, Jayanthipura, Rajamalwatte, Polduwa, Mihindupura, Udumulla, Ganahena, Thalangama North, Thalangama South, Heenetikumbura, Nagahamulla, Wickramasinghapura, Jayawadanagama, Akuregoda, Batapotha, Korambe, Aruppitiya. The Thalawathugoda , Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte , Mulleriyawa and Malabe suburbs mark

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1248-531: The forces of the neighbouring kingdom of Sitawaka, the city was abandoned by the Portuguese, who made Colombo their new capital. Like similar cities of that era, Sri Jayawardenepura was built with security in mind. A rampart and moat protected the entire city. Traces of this moat and rampart are still visible today at certain places. Along parts of the rampart, encroachers have now built houses, garages and even toilets. The urbanisation of Kotte restarted in

1287-587: The grounds was sold and later used to construct the HSBC building. In 2007 the Municipality, with aid from the Ministry of Urban Development, completed the first stage of the new Chandra Silva Stadium on the site of a rubbish dump behind the HSBC building. Recently, football has once more grown in popularity, and the sport now has a considerable following. The football association's new training facility at Kotte

1326-501: The main street of the town. The education department of Sri Lanka is also located in Pelawatta junction of this town and the building is called "Isurupaya". Foreign Employment Bureau is another important government office and it is located at Denzil Kobbekaduwa Mawatha. Even if the Parliament of Sri Lanka is located on an island that belongs to Kotte town, the main road that leads to the parliament lies through Battaramulla. Battaramulla

1365-541: The new parliament in Kotte, the Government of Sri Lanka decided to move all the government offices in Colombo City to Battaramulla Town. Now the area facilitates home to numerous Ministries, Government departments and Administrative Boards being in close proximity to the Parliament of Sri Lanka. "Sethsiripaya" is an administrative building complex where a number of government offices have been established, located on

1404-409: The places from which the laterite blocks were mined can be seen even today inside the premises of Ananda Sasthralaya (a local school). The main features of the capital city were: The Portuguese arrived on the island in 1505 and were initially welcomed by the king, but they had militaristic and monopolistic intentions and gained control of the city by 1565. Failing to withstand repeated assaults by

1443-674: The town area under Route 374 which starts from Battaramulla main junction and ends at Pelawatta junction via Ganahena, Robert Gunawardhana Mawatha, Korambe, Batapotha and Akuregoda. In addition to the public bus services, there are office time bus services which arrive in Battaramulla in the morning and depart from the town in the evening on government office working days. Buses that pass through Battaramulla are Kottawa - Borella (174), Battaramulla - Dehiwala (163), Koswatta/Pelawatta - Fort (171), Athurugiriya - Pettah (170) Meegoda - Pettah (190). A notable expatriate population and affluent nationals of Sri Lanka live in Battaramulla. The rapid increase in

1482-513: Was declared open by the former president J. R. Jayewardene . The process of relocating government institutions from the former capital of Colombo is still in progress. The Kotte Urban Development Council was created in the 1930s, with a modern building at Rajagiriya . It was succeeded by the Kotte Urban Council, which had a large section of its area removed and tagged onto the Colombo Municipal Council ward of Borella while

1521-571: Was held by Alagakkonara in front of Kotte, while he defeated the enemy's invasion fleet at Panadura to the south-west. Kotte was a jala durgha (water fortress), in the shape of a triangle, with the Diyawanna Oya and Kolonnawa Oya marshes forming two long sides; along the shorter third (land) side a large moat (the 'inner moat') was dug. The fortress was nearly 2.5 km (0.97 sq mi) in area, fortified with ramparts of kabook or laterite rock, 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) high and 10.7 metres (35 ft) in breadth. In 1391, following

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