KEGALLA

Kegalle (Sinhalese: කෑගල්ල; Tamil: கேகாலை) is a large town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. It is located on the Colombo–Kandy road, approximately 78 km (48 mi) from Colombo and 40 km (25 mi) from Kandy. It is the main town in the Kegalle District, which is one of two districts which comprise Sabaragamuwa Province. The town is governed by an Urban Council.

The surrounding area produces graphite, precious stones and agricultural products such as rice. Kegalle has an agricultural based economy and mainly produces rubber. Kegalle is the nearest town to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, a major tourist attraction in the area, which is 10.5 km (6.5 mi) to the north-east.

Historical grandeur

Kegalle District remarks on its great history dated back to the stone age of Sri Lanka.It is an assortment of proven evidences of the present day city formation. According to those evidences there had been a prosperous civilization in Kegalle prior to 28000 years.The caves of Beli lena, Dorawaka lena, Alu lena, Asmadala, Padavigampola, Batalegala, Lenagala, Ambala Kanda, Halamada, Heenatipana, Uthuwankanda, Beligala,Salawa, Yahalena,Salgala and Kela Dambulla endow with the evidences for that.

According to the archaeology of the Kegalle District,it has been a region in Maya Rata of the three divisions of Sri Lanka. Further it is noticeable by the latter half of the Sinhalese kingdom and also by the ruling period of the British. Those days Kegalle had been divided into three parts; named as “Satara Koralaya”,” Thun Koralaya” and “Patha Bulathgama”.

Physical information

Sir.Edwin Wijeyeratne First elected Kegalle member, State Council of Ceylon & Sri Lankan independence activist

Kegalle, situated in between the central highlands and western southern planes and has an enchanting environment. The height of the western region is less than 500 feet above sea level while the eastern region exceeds 1,000 feet. Rubber cultivation has stretched over most of the area of the district and minor export crops such as coffee, cocoa, pepper, clove and nutmeg takes an important place in the district's economy. Sri Lanka’s best graphite mine is situated at Bogala in Kegalle District. The extent of the District is 1692.8 km2 (169,280 in hectares). Sri Lanka 65610 km2

The economic maturity

The land has become another fertile facilitator to the cultivation promoted needs of the citizens of Kegalle.The district mainly being an agrarian society, rubber, tea and coconut are cultivated as the main crops of it. Apart from that clove, pepper, coffee and cocoa too are being cultivated as secondary commodities. As of the Rubber cultivation, 33% of the agrarian lands have been utilized for it.29000 acres of land area have been occupied for the paddy cultivation.The rain water is the main resource provider for the cultivations in Kegalle.

Minerals are another lucrative donor of the district of Kegalle.The Bogala graphite is one of the most notable mine in Kegalle district and marks a half amount of the total mineral export of Sri Lanka.The gem distribution near the Kelani River further boosts for the economic prosperity of the district.