Kurunegala

Kurunegala: town hall

Kurunegala, town, west-central Sri Lanka. It is situated 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Kandy amid steep hills that were used as citadels during its early history.

Kurunegala was the Sinhalese capital in the early 14th century, and later the town served as a way station between Kandy, the new capital, and its port, Puttalam. The contemporary town is the commercial centre of a populous agricultural area that produces rice, rubber latex, spices, cocoa, and, especially, coconuts. Kurunegala has good road and rail connections with the rest of Sri Lanka. Some 12 miles (20 km) northeast of the town lies Ridi Vihara, the “silver monastery,” which was founded (100 bce) on the site of a vein of silver. Pop. (2007 est.) 30,324.