Bandarawela
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Bandarawela බණ්ඩාරවෙල பண்டாரவளை |
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| Town | |
 Bandarawela
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| Coordinates: 6°50′0″N 80°59′0″E / 6.83333°N 80.98333°ECoordinates: 6°50′0″N 80°59′0″E / 6.83333°N 80.98333°E | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Population | |
| • Total | 7,880 |
| Time zone | Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone (UTC+5:30) |
Bandarawela (Sinhala : බණ්ඩාරවෙල, pronounced [ˈbandarawela]; Tamil: பண்டாரவளை) is the second largest town in the Badulla District which is 30 kilometres (19 mi) away from Badulla. Bandarawela is 200 km (120 mi) away from Colombo and about 125 km (78 mi) away from Kandy, the two capital cities of Sri Lanka. Thanks to its higher altitude, compared to surrounding locations, Bandarawela has milder weather conditions throughout the year making it a popular tourist destination for locals. Bandarawela is within hours reach of surrounding towns and cities by both road and rail. The town is influenced by its colonial history and rests among dense, lush forestation occupying a niche among visitors as a base for eco-tourism.
The town is governed by a municipal council and headed by a mayor. The council is elected by popular vote and has nine members. There were 16,673 registered voters in the 2011 local authorities elections. Currently the municipal council is controlled by the United National Party which is one of the largest political parties in Sri Lanka.
The area outside the municipality is governed by the "Pradeshiya Saba" which is similar to the urban council. The Pradeshiya Saba is elected by popular vote and has 10 members. In the 2006 local authorities election there were 37,972 registered voters.
The ancient Dhowa Buddhist rock temple is one of the well-known heritage sites in this region. Other historic areas of interest include the Roman Catholic St. Anthony's Church and a local Methodist church.
The ancient Dhowa Rock Temple was founded by King Walagamba in the first century B.C.E. (1 B.C.E.) and is located beside Badulla-Bandarawela highway, 6 km (3.7 mi) from Bandarawela. The temple contains a 12 m (39 ft)-high Buddha image sculpted from rock and paintings depicting Jataka stories belonging to the Kandyan era.
During colonial times, the town of Bandarawela was once hailed as possessing one of the healthiest climates in the world. This town is considered to have the most favorable climate on the island. Geographically the Bandarawela area is located at a high altitude and surrounded by a large number of mountains in Uva and the Central Province.
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Wikipedia