Kurunegala
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Kurunegala

Kurunegala

North Western Province city and former Sinhalese capital, ringed by animal-named granite outcrops.

Kurunegala is a mid-sized city in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka, about 100 kilometres north of Colombo. It was a medieval capital of the Sinhalese kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries, and the large rocky outcrops that surround the town were given the names of animals — Elephant Rock, Tortoise Rock — that still serve as local landmarks. A large white Buddha statue now crowns the highest summit.

The town sits at a crossroads between Colombo and the Cultural Triangle (Kandy, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura), and most travellers pass through rather than stay. For those who do stop, both rocks can be climbed for views over the lake and the surrounding plains, and the area north of town holds some of the Cultural Triangle's least-visited ancient sites: the rock fortress of Yapahuwa, the forest hermitage of Arankele, and the beautiful Ridi Viharaya (Silver Temple), renowned for its Kandyan frescoes.

The surrounding district is productive agricultural land — coconut plantations and paddy fields stretch in most directions — and the town itself is a busy commercial hub with good transport connections to the main cultural sites of the interior.

Guide

Day Trips

The area north and west of Kurunegala is home to some of Sri Lanka's most interesting and least-visited ancient sites, all reachable in a leisurely day with your own transport or a hired tuk-tuk.

Yapahuwa (45 km north) is a dramatic rock fortress rising nearly 100 metres above the surrounding lowlands, built in the 13th century as a temporary capital of the Sinhalese kingdom. The carved ceremonial staircase that winds up the rock face to the Lion Gate is one of the finest examples of medieval Sinhalese stone carving.

Arankele (25 km north) is an ancient forest monastery hidden on a jungle-covered hillside, with remains of meditation walkways, ponds and cells used by monks seeking seclusion. It sees very few visitors and retains a genuine atmosphere of quiet.

Panduwas Nuwara is an even earlier royal site, with earthwork fortifications and ruins scattered across a forested area — underfunded and underexplored, which makes it appealing if you like having ancient places to yourself.

Padeniya Raja Maha Viharaya (25 km west) is a Kandyan-period temple noted for its extraordinary wooden pillars, carved in the Kandyan style, and a frieze of lion sculptures running around the main image house.

Guide

Getting There

Kurunegala is about 100 kilometres north of Colombo and sits at a major road junction, making it easy to reach from most directions.

From Colombo, buses run frequently throughout the day and take about 2.5 hours. Trains on the Puttalam line also stop at Kurunegala, though the train is slower than the bus on this route. From Kandy, the journey by bus or car takes about 1.5 hours through the hills.

If you are travelling the Cultural Triangle — visiting Sigiriya, Dambulla and Anuradhapura — Kurunegala makes a natural stopping point. Most travellers arrive and depart by bus, as connections in all directions are frequent.

Guide

Things to Do

Kurunegala is a crossroads city on the route between Colombo and the Cultural Triangle, and most visitors pass through rather than linger. Those who stop will find the rock outcrops that define the town's skyline worth climbing, a lake good for early-morning walks, and a scattering of temples and ancient sites in the surrounding district that can fill a pleasant day with your own transport.