North Western Province

Understand

This region was home to the ancient Sinhalese Kingdom of Kurunegala in the 13th century. The Yapahuwa Rock Fortress, built by King Buwanekabahu I, was a significant stronghold that once housed the Sacred Tooth Relic. During the 16th century, the Portuguese controlled coastal areas here, including Puttalam. The Dutch later took over in the 17th century, followed by the British in 1815, who formed the province in 1833. The province became a key agricultural hub, particularly for coconut plantations, which remain a major industry today. Later, Kurunegala became a major commercial and administrative centre. Fishing, prawn farming and rubber tree plantations are other prominent industries of the region.

Climate The climate of this province is tropical, with a marked dry season, and temperatures averaging between 20 °C in January to 25 °C in March. The south of the province is wetter, with almost 2000 mm of rainfall per year, but the north of the province is one of the driest regions in Sri Lanka, averaging under 1100 mm of rain in parts.

Getting there

By road Some major roads include,

A3: Puttalam – Chilaw – Negombo - Colombo (162 km) A6: Ambepussa – Kurunegala – Dambulla – Trincomalee (192 km) A10: Katugastota – Kurunegala – Puttalam (125 km) A12: Puttalam - Anuradhapura - Trincomalee (179 km)

By train The province is served by two separate railway lines, both going north-south. The Puttalam line follows the coast and connects Colombo and Negombo with Chilaw and Puttalam and other villages in between. This provides a direct route to visitors going to/from Bandaranaike International Airport, however they will need to use Negombo or Katunayake railway stations to connect to the airport. The Northern line, which serves as the backbone of the Sri Lankan railway network, also goes through the province. It connects Kurunegala with Colombo and points south, and with Anuradhapura and beyond to the north. The railway lines to Mannar, Batticaloa and Trincomalee also branch off this line, expediting travel to those destinatins from Kurunegala.

See

Archaeological sites: This province was the seat of four medieval kingdoms of Sri Lanka between the mid-12th and mid-14th centuries, and is a treasure house of archaeology. Having been forced to move capitals due to foreign invasions, Sri Lankan kings nevertheless built magnificent citadels are Yapahuwa, Panduwasnuwara, Dambadeniya and Kurunegala. Impressive remains of those citadels, palaces, Buddhist temples and monasteries provide exciting sight seeing to the visitors. Rock temples: There are other ancient Buddhist rock temples, mostly with 1st century BCE roots, with wall and ceiling frescos, colossal Buddha images, stone inscriptions and sculptures dating from early medieval to 18th-century period. European colonial monuments: The well-preserved Dutch Fort in Kalpitiya (Puttalam district) dates back to 1670. Barracks, store houses, living quarters, Dutch colonial pillars and ancient tombstones can be seen. Kurunegala has many 19th-century relics of the British colonial period including the government Agent's residence and the Rajapihilla rest house.

Do

Beaches The sparkling blue surf of the Indian Ocean and scenic tropical lagoons which edge the western shores of the province are glided with 240 kilometres of wide, sun drenched beaches. These beaches stretch from Waikkal at its southern end to Dutch Bay in the Puttalam district. Some of the area's best resort beaches are at Marawila, Talwila, Kalpitiya and Waikkal. These beaches are often with the bonus of a lagoon or a river front and make excellent bases for stay-put beach holidays. Some of the beach resorts also offer viewing of underwater Coral wonderlands off Kandakuliya and Karaitivu. Many fishing villages dot the coastal areas.

Festivals All Buddhist temples celebrate the Vesak, Poson and Esela festivals commemorating the events of great importance to the Buddhists. These festivals feature colourful decorations, lanterns, illuminations and pageants where traditional dancing, drumming, costumed dignitaries and elephants are paraded. Two noteworthy colourful Buddhist processions are organised by the Wilbawa Raja Maha Viharaya (Major temple) and Athanda Raja Maha Viharaya and are paraded in the Kurunegala city. The St Anne's Roman Catholic church is located on a magnificent beach stretch in Talawila in the Puttalam district. The church draws thousands of pilgrims for its main festivals in March and July. The Munneswaram and Udappu Hindu temples are pilgrim centres of many devotees. People gather to worship deities and seek favours. The main temple of God Shiva at Munneswaram, comprises the shrines and has been built according to traditional Hindu style. Munneswaram celebrates its major festival in August where fire-walking is practiced. Udappuwa, a sea side shrine complex of three shrines, also has a colourful festival held in the month of August. The Ramazan, Haj and Milad-un-Nabi festivals are also celebrated by the minority Muslims of Wayamba especially at historic and famed mosques in Puttalam, Kurunegala and Chilaw. These celebrations are mainly of r