Sri Jayewardenepura
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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte ශ්රී ජයවර්ධනපුර කෝට්ටේ ஶ்ரீ ஜெயவர்த்தனபுர கோட்டை |
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| Administrative Capital | |
| Colombo Metropolitan Region | |
Diyatha Uyana
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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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| Coordinates: 6°54′39″N 79°53′16″E / 6.91083°N 79.88778°E | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Western Province |
| District | Colombo District |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | R.A.D Janaka Ranawaka (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) |
| Area | |
| • Administrative Capital | 17 km2 (7 sq mi) |
| Population (2001)[1] | |
| • Administrative Capital | 115,826 |
| • Density | 3,305/km2 (8,560/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 2,234,289 |
| Time zone | SLST (UTC+5:30) |
| Postal code | 10100 |
| Area code(s) | 011 |
| Website | www |
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte or Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (also known as Kotte) is the official capital of Sri Lanka. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is within the urban area of, and a satellite city of, Colombo.
The village of Darugama lay at the confluence of two streams, 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 chieftain named Nissanka Alagakkonara built a Kotte (meaning 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 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 km2 (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 the conquest of the Jaffna Kingdom by Prince Sapumal (Sembahap Perumal), Kotte was given the epithet 'Sri Jayawardhanapura' ('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 the places from which the laterite blocks were mined, could be seen even today inside the Ananda Sasthralaya (a local school) premises.
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 the forces of the neighbouring kingdom of Sitawaka, the city was abandoned by the Portuguese, who made Colombo their new capital.
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Wikipedia