Bandarawela
Encyclopedia
Bandarawela is the second largest city in Badulla District
which is 28 km away from Badulla. Due to higher altitude, Bandarawela has a mild weather condition throughout the year hence, it is popular among the citizens to spend the vacations with their family members. Bandarawela is 200 km away from Colombo
and about 125 km away from Kandy
, Colombo and Kandy being two major cities in Sri Lanka. Both roads and railway transportation facilities are available to reach the area within a few hours. Bandarawela town, tinted with a colonial past resting among lush forestation has found its niche among its visitors as a base for eco-tourism.
who fell back and regrouped in the Dhowa region to fight against Chola
invaders.
During the period of British colonial era, the city occurred rapid development of the infrastructures and human resources
due to tea plantations and migration
of the British and local people to the area. A lot of past evidences can be seen there belongs to that colonial period. There is few buildings remaining which were built in the British colonial period with British architectural influences such as the Bandarawela Hotel, the Cargilles building, the Tennis club, etc.
Bandarawela is one of the Sinhalese majority territories in Sri Lanka before the establishment of tea plantations under British administration. Nowadays there is a mix culture due to the migration of Tamils to the tea plantation sector as laborers from India
under British colonial times. Those Tamil community had been got their full citizenship during the UNP
Government period in 1978 to 1988 by Affidavit Act no 39 of 1988. The records of the other ethnic groups in this area are negligible.
Bandarawela famous as having been the camp in Ceylon of the Boer prisoners of war and some of the buildings erected for the temporary accommodation of the captives are now used in connection with the permanent camp health recuperation established here for the Navy , military and volunteers.
Out side of the municipal area is governed by the "Pradeshiya saba" which is also similar to the urban council. The pradeshiya saba is elected by popular vote as well and it has 10 seats. In the 2006 local authorities election, 37,972 voters were registered for the election.
was founded by King Walagamba in the first century BC and is located beside Badull- Bandarawela high way, 6 km away from Bandarawela city. It has a 38 ft (11.6 m) Buddha image sculptured from a rock and some paintings belonging to the Kandyan era, depicting various Jataka stories.
According to the local climatic zone classifications, Bandarawela is classified under Up Country Intermediate Zone (UCIZ) which is spread over the Badulla and Moneragala
Districts. The elevation
above the sea level at Bandarawela is 1300 m, the annual average rainfall is between 1100 and 1400 mm and the monthly average temperature
are between 15 °C (in February) and 27 °C (in May and June). The Bandarawela area consists mainly at Red Yellow Podzolic soil which is strongly acidic and favorable for the tea plantation.
farming and tea plantation. Majority of the people are directly involved in vegetable cultivation and some are working as laborers in tea estates. There are large number of tea plantations which are managed by both private and government sectors and produce good quality tea for the world tea market.
Although Vegetable gardens also used to be a common sight around the town. A lot of temperate vegetables are grown in this area throughout the year such as leek
, carrot
, beet root, cauliflower
, cabbage
and more. About one tenth of the population works for government, private establishments and run their own businesses. So the majority of the people in this area fall in the low and middle income groups.
Tourism is another income generation way in bandarawela area. A lots of holiday resorts, cottages and hotels can be found in this area with better facilities.
, many families moved to Bandarawela as leading schools in Colombo
such as Royal College
, St. Thomas' College and Visakha Vidyalaya
, completely shifted to Bandarawela due to the fear caused by the Japan
ese bombs. This caused to improve the education background of the people in Bandarawela. It consists of many popular schools in the Badulla district with better facilities for primary and secondary education. Some of schools in the area include Bandarawela Central college
, Visakha Vidyalaya, Little Flower Convent and St. Joseph college Bandarawela. These schools are governed by the central government of Sri Lanka
. There are also two private schools which are popular in island wide. They are S. Thomas' College Bandarawela and S. Thomas' College,Guruthalawa
.
Rawana Ella (131 ft in height) and Diyaluma (628 ft in height) are the most beautiful waterfalls in this region. Rawana Ella is situated on the Ella, Wellawaya main road and Diyaluma situated near the Koslanda village. Adisham Bungalow, Bandarawela Hotel
and Lipton's Seats are other historic places in Bandarawela area.
Badulla District
Badulla is a district in Uva Province, Sri Lanka. The entire land area of the Badulla district is 2,861 km² and total population is 837,000. The district is bounded by the districts of Monaragala and Rathnapura on the East & South, by Ampara and Kandy districts on the North and by Nuwara...
which is 28 km away from Badulla. Due to higher altitude, Bandarawela has a mild weather condition throughout the year hence, it is popular among the citizens to spend the vacations with their family members. Bandarawela is 200 km away from Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
and about 125 km away from Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
, Colombo and Kandy being two major cities in Sri Lanka. Both roads and railway transportation facilities are available to reach the area within a few hours. Bandarawela town, tinted with a colonial past resting among lush forestation has found its niche among its visitors as a base for eco-tourism.
History
History of the Bandarawela area is coming from the time of great Sinhalese King ValagambaValagamba of Sri Lanka
Valagamba, also known as Vattagamani Abhaya and Valagambahu, was a king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom of Sri Lanka. Five months after becoming king, he was overthrown by a rebellion and an invasion from South India, but regained the throne by defeating the invaders after fourteen years...
who fell back and regrouped in the Dhowa region to fight against Chola
Chola Dynasty
The Chola dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which was one of the longest-ruling in some parts of southern India. The earliest datable references to this Tamil dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BC left by Asoka, of Maurya Empire; the dynasty continued to govern over varying territory until...
invaders.
During the period of British colonial era, the city occurred rapid development of the infrastructures and human resources
Human resources
Human resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
due to tea plantations and migration
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
of the British and local people to the area. A lot of past evidences can be seen there belongs to that colonial period. There is few buildings remaining which were built in the British colonial period with British architectural influences such as the Bandarawela Hotel, the Cargilles building, the Tennis club, etc.
Bandarawela is one of the Sinhalese majority territories in Sri Lanka before the establishment of tea plantations under British administration. Nowadays there is a mix culture due to the migration of Tamils to the tea plantation sector as laborers from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
under British colonial times. Those Tamil community had been got their full citizenship during the UNP
United National Party
The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe...
Government period in 1978 to 1988 by Affidavit Act no 39 of 1988. The records of the other ethnic groups in this area are negligible.
Bandarawela famous as having been the camp in Ceylon of the Boer prisoners of war and some of the buildings erected for the temporary accommodation of the captives are now used in connection with the permanent camp health recuperation established here for the Navy , military and volunteers.
Politics
The town is ruled by the municipal council headed by a mayor. The council is elected by popular vote and has 9 seats. There were 16,673 registered voters in the 2011 local authorities elections. Currently the municipal council has been governed by the United National Party which is one of the largest political parties in Sri Lanka.Out side of the municipal area is governed by the "Pradeshiya saba" which is also similar to the urban council. The pradeshiya saba is elected by popular vote as well and it has 10 seats. In the 2006 local authorities election, 37,972 voters were registered for the election.
Heritage
Ancient Dhowa Buddhist rock temple is one of the well known heritage sites in this region and the Roman Catholic Church, St. Anthony's Church and Methodist church are some other historic places to visit. Ancient dhowa rock templeDhowa rock temple
Dhowa rock Temple is one of the heritage sites in Sri Lanka, situated in central mountain of Uva province. Dhowa is small ancient village which is situated on Badulla, Bandarawela main road...
was founded by King Walagamba in the first century BC and is located beside Badull- Bandarawela high way, 6 km away from Bandarawela city. It has a 38 ft (11.6 m) Buddha image sculptured from a rock and some paintings belonging to the Kandyan era, depicting various Jataka stories.
Geography and climate
During colonial times, the picturesque town of Bandarawela was once hailed as possessing one of the healthiest climates in the world, & nothing much has happened here to change that. Therein this was the most favourable climate in the island. Geographically, the Bandarawela area is hilly and surrounded by the large number of mountains in Uva and Central Province.According to the local climatic zone classifications, Bandarawela is classified under Up Country Intermediate Zone (UCIZ) which is spread over the Badulla and Moneragala
Moneragala
Moneragala is a city in Sri Lanka. It is located in Moneragala District of Uva Province, Sri Lanka.-References:...
Districts. The elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
above the sea level at Bandarawela is 1300 m, the annual average rainfall is between 1100 and 1400 mm and the monthly average temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
are between 15 °C (in February) and 27 °C (in May and June). The Bandarawela area consists mainly at Red Yellow Podzolic soil which is strongly acidic and favorable for the tea plantation.
Demography
Bandarawela is a Sinhala majority city, there are sizeable communities belonging to other ethnic groups, such as Indian Tamils, Sri Lanka Moors and Sri Lanka Tamils.| No | Ethnicity | Population | % Of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinhala Sinhalese people The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the... |
46,843 | 72.42 |
| 2 | Indian Tamils Indian Tamils Indian Tamils may refer to:* Tamil people from or living in India* Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka... |
10,521 | 16.26 |
| 3 | Sri Lankan Tamils | 3,647 | 5.63 |
| 4 | Moors Sri Lankan Moors The Sri Lankan Moors are the third largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka comprising 8% of the country's total population . They are predominantly followers of Islam. The Moors trace their ancestry to Arab traders who settled in Sri Lanka some time between the 8th and 15th centuries... |
3,127 | 4.83 |
| 5 | Malays Sri Lankan Malays The Malays of Sri Lanka originated in Southeast Asia and today consist of about 50,000 people... |
267 | 0.41 |
| 6 | Burghers Burgher people The Burghers are a Eurasian ethnic group, historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries and local women, with some minorities of Swedish, Norwegian, French and Irish.Today the mother tongue of the Burghers... |
147 | 0.22 |
| 7 | Other | 123 | 0.19 |
| Total | 64,675 | 100 | |
Religion
Bandarawela area has multi religious population. Buddhism and Hinduism constitute majority of the religious faith. There is also a minority of Islams and Catholics. Pushparama Buddhist temple, Sri Sivasubramania Swamy Kovil and Masjid Mohideen Muslim mosque are the main religious places situated in and around Bandarawela Urban area. There is also three catholic churches which has long historical background with colonial periods situated very close to the city.Economy
The main livelihood of the people living in this area is agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
farming and tea plantation. Majority of the people are directly involved in vegetable cultivation and some are working as laborers in tea estates. There are large number of tea plantations which are managed by both private and government sectors and produce good quality tea for the world tea market.
Although Vegetable gardens also used to be a common sight around the town. A lot of temperate vegetables are grown in this area throughout the year such as leek
Leek
The leek, Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum , also sometimes known as Allium porrum, is a vegetable which belongs, along with the onion and garlic, to family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Allioideae...
, carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
, beet root, cauliflower
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed...
, cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
and more. About one tenth of the population works for government, private establishments and run their own businesses. So the majority of the people in this area fall in the low and middle income groups.
Tourism is another income generation way in bandarawela area. A lots of holiday resorts, cottages and hotels can be found in this area with better facilities.
Education
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, many families moved to Bandarawela as leading schools in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
such as Royal College
Royal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
, St. Thomas' College and Visakha Vidyalaya
Visakha Vidyalaya
Visakha Vidyalaya is a girls school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is a public school controlled by the central government providing primary and secondary education.-History:...
, completely shifted to Bandarawela due to the fear caused by the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese bombs. This caused to improve the education background of the people in Bandarawela. It consists of many popular schools in the Badulla district with better facilities for primary and secondary education. Some of schools in the area include Bandarawela Central college
Bandarawela Central college
The Bandarwela Madya Maha Vidyalaya is a public school situated in Uva province, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1948 as a section of Royal College Colombo. This is famous as "Light of Uva" and it is a National School which controlled by the central government as opposed to the Provincial Council...
, Visakha Vidyalaya, Little Flower Convent and St. Joseph college Bandarawela. These schools are governed by the central government of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. There are also two private schools which are popular in island wide. They are S. Thomas' College Bandarawela and S. Thomas' College,Guruthalawa
S. Thomas' College,Guruthalawa
St Thomas College, Gurutalawa is one of the private Anglican schools situated in Uva province, Sri Lanka.- History :In 1942 the S. Thomas' College at Gurutalawa was started by Dr. R.L. Hayman as a branch of the S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia. A farm with some land and buildings was donated to...
.
Picturesque Places
Bandarawela Hotel
The Bandarawela Hotel in Bandarawela, Sri Lanka is a century-old British-built property associated with the development of the hill-country railways which is situated within walking distance from the railway station...
and Lipton's Seats are other historic places in Bandarawela area.
Current Climate
- Current climatic conditions in bandarawela area http://www.accuweather.com/world-forecast-current-conditions.asp?partner=forecastfox&zipcode=ASI|LK|CE008|BANDARAWELA|&metric=1