Kaduwela, Western Province

Kaduwela කඩුවෙල கடுவலை
Suburb
Kaduwela
Coordinates:
Country	Sri Lanka
Province	Western Province
District	Colombo District
Area
• Total	87.7 km2 (33.9 sq mi)
Population (2009)
• Total	244,679
Time zone	Sri Lanka Standard Time (UTC+5:30)
Postal code	10640
Website	www.kaduwela.mc.gov.lk

Kaduwela (Sinhalese: කඩුවෙල, Tamil: கடுவலை) is a suburb of Colombo city in Colombo District, Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is located about 16 km from Colombo city center on Colombo - Avissawella Old Road (Low Level Road) and about 18 km from Kollupitiya on New Kandy Road.

Etymology

Kaduwela was originally Kadudevola, a compound of Kadu (sword) and Devola (shrine). It was the location of a shrine of the goddess Pattini, linked to a golden sword used in the 'water cutting' ritual. The shrine is called the Purana Rankadu Pattini Maha Devale (ancient great shrine of the golden-sword Pattini).

In another possibility Kaduwela simply means the jungle paddy field. Kadu means jungle (Sorata Thera's Sinhala–Sinhala dictionary) and wela means paddy field. There is also another Kaduwela in the Ukuwela division of Matale district

According to Robert Percival of the 19th Regiment of Foot, during the Revolt of 1797 against the Dutch, the Sinhalese threw up earthworks and established a fort here.

After the British defeat in the 1st Kandyan War, Kaduwela was occupied by a small force of British sepoys and lascoreens. They were later reinforced by a mixed force of European troops and sepoys under Captain Charles Wilkinson Mercer of the 51st Regiment, prior to the Battle of Hanwella.

Kaduwela Municipal Council

Kaduwela also has a Municipal Council. Kaduwela Municipal Council area comprises with three main towns Battaramulla (which is the main town), Kaduwela and Athurugiriya. Other towns that belong to the municipal area are,

• Malabe
• Koswatte
• Pelawatte
• Kalapaluwawa
• Hokandara
• Ranala
• Wickramasinghapura

See also

• List of towns in Western Province, Sri Lanka

External links

• Kaduwela Municipal Council (Sinhalese)
• Department of Census and Statistics -Sri Lanka