Hanwella is a small town in 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...

, situated about 30 km 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...

, the commercial capital of the country. Hanwella lies on the 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...

-Ratnapura

Ratnapura

- Floods :The town of Ratnapura is situated in the flooding plain of the river Kalu. The town experiences regular floods usually in the month of May. There is no large dam across the Kalu, so this leaves the city at the mercy of nature's forces every year. Several proposals have been made to reduce...

 main road, on the banks of the Kelani River

Kelani River

The Kelani River is a river in Sri Lanka. Ranking as the fourth longest river in the country, it stretches from the Sri Pada Mountain Range to Colombo. It covers approximately 80% of the water supply to Colombo. In addition to that, the river is used for transport, fisheries, sewage disposal,...

.

Geography

This historic city belongs to the Colombo district and Avissawella

Avissawella

Avissawella, also known as Seethawakapura or Seethawaka, is a town along the A4 route from Colombo on the Western Coast to Kalmunai in the Eastern Coast of Sri Lanka via Ratnapura, Pelmadulla, Balangoda and Wellawaya.- Overview :...

 electorate. Hanwella is one of three major towns in the Seethawake pradeshiya sabha, the other two being Kosgama

Kosgama

Kosgama is a small town in Colombo District, Sri Lanka. Located 46km from Colombo, on the A4 highway, it is also served by the Kelani Valley Railway Line. The town is administered by the Seethawaka Pradeshiya Sabha ....

 and Padukka

Padukka

Padukka is a town in the district of Colombo in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. It has a population of roughly 8,000. Elevation 44feet....

. Hanwella lies on both of the Colombo-Ratnapura roads, namely the Highlevel and Lowlevel roads. The Kelani River

Kelani River

The Kelani River is a river in Sri Lanka. Ranking as the fourth longest river in the country, it stretches from the Sri Pada Mountain Range to Colombo. It covers approximately 80% of the water supply to Colombo. In addition to that, the river is used for transport, fisheries, sewage disposal,...

, one of Sri Lanka's major rivers, runs alongside the town. Hanwella borders the Gampaha

Gampaha

Gampaha is an urban city in Sri Lanka and is the capital of the Gampaha District in Western Province, north of Colombo. Gampaha District is separated from Colombo mainly by the Kelani River.-Namesake:...

 district. The nearest towns are Padukka

Padukka

Padukka is a town in the district of Colombo in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. It has a population of roughly 8,000. Elevation 44feet....

 (8 km), Pugoda (8 km), Kosgama(8 km) and Nawagamuwa (8 km).

There are some waterfalls, and lush green hills and rubber plantations surround the city. Two main reservoirs, called Labugama and Kalatuwawa, are situated close to Hanwella and supply water.

History

Hanwella was part of the ancient Seethawaka kingdom

Kingdom of Sitawaka

The Kingdom of Sitawaka was a kingdom located in south-central Sri Lanka. It emerged from the division of the kingdom of Kotte following the Spoiling of Vijayabahu in 1521, and over the course of the next seventy years came to dominate much of the island. Sitawaka also offered fierce resistance to...

. Many battles between Portuguese

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

soldiers and Sinhalese troops took place in Hanwella and the surrounding area. These sites have been preserved and can be seen in the Hanwella restaurant district. Portuguese and other colonial influences are still visible in the town.

Prior to the construction of the Colombo-Kandy highway by the British, the main access road to Kandy and the interior of the country was via Hanwella.

Urbanization

Hanwella is rapidly becoming urbanized. Several factories have been built in and around the city. The local version of the Disneyland, "Leisure World", is an attraction for kids a few kilometers away from the town. Currently, the part of the town situated on the Highlevel road is gradually developing into a separate town called Pahatgama.

Facilities

Among government institutions, the Divisional secretariat office is located in Pahatgama town on Highlevel road. The main schools are Rajasinghe Central College, Roman Catholic, and Mayadunna vidyalaya. MOH office, Hanwella is located about 8 km away from the town at Kosgama.

A significant proportion of its inhabitants follow Roman Catholicism, which they inherited from the Portuguese colonialists. Several Christian churches scattered in and around Hanwella are testimony to these influences.