landmark
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist temple, housing a relic of the tooth of Buddha in the hillside city of Kandy.
37 km · about 40 min drive
AsiaSri LankaNorth Western Province
Kurunegala
North Western Province, Sri Lanka · Asia
About Kurunegala
Kurunegala sits on the route: 30 minutes from Kegalle, 59km from Ramboda Falls.
Kurunegala is in North Western Province, Sri Lanka, with about 29,000 people. The nearest town is Kegalle, about 26 km away.
Kurunegala (Sinhala: කුරුණෑගල, IPA: [kurunæːɡələ]; Tamil: குருணாகல், IPA: [kuɾuɳaːɣɐl]) is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of the North Western Province and the Kurunegala District. Kurunegala was an ancient royal capital for 50 years, from the end of the 13th century to the start of the 14thRead more
century. It is at the junction of several main roads linking to other important parts of the country. It is about 94 kilometres (58 mi) from Colombo, 42 kilometres (26 mi) from Kandy and 51 kilometres (32 mi) from Matale.
Located at an altitude of 116 metres (381 ft) above sea level, Kurunegala is surrounded by coconut plantations and rubber estates. There are eight very noticeable large rocks that encircle and dominate the city. Kurunegala's rocks rise from the plain below and have characteristic names, six of which come from the animals that they are imagined to represent. The largest among them is Ethagala or the "Elephant Rock" (though the translation is actually tusker), reaches 325 metres (1,066 ft). The shape of Ethagala resembles an elephant.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Kurunegala?
Within an hour or so of Kurunegala: Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (37 km), Ambuluwawa Tower (41 km), Dambulla Cave Temple (52 km), Ramboda Falls (59 km).
Where is Kurunegala?
Kurunegala is in North Western Province, Sri Lanka, about 26 km from Kegalle.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 28,571
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Sri Lanka
- Region
- North Western Province
- Timezone
- Asia/Colombo
- Coordinates
- 7.4839, 80.3683
Tags
Worth the detour from Kurunegala
4 notable places within an hour's drive.
photogenic
Ambuluwawa Tower
A vertigo-inducing spiral tower on a hilltop near Gampola whose staircase narrows to shoulder width and ends with no handrail, giving a 360-degree view over the central highlands.
41 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Dambulla Cave Temple
Five caves cut into a 160 m rock face, painted and filled with over 150 Buddha statues across two millennia of continuous use, the largest and best preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka.
52 km · about 60 min drive
waterfall
Ramboda Falls
A 109 m waterfall in two tiers falling right beside the A5 at Ramboda Pass, on the tea-estate road between Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. Visible from the highway without leaving the car.
59 km · about 70 min drive
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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