--- title: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte — English Wikipedia · full text with trees description: Wikipedia's «Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte», whole, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics, CC BY-SA 4.0. It begins: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (ʃriː dʒajəʋard̪ənəpurə ko̞ːʈːe̞ː), also known as Kotte, is the legislative capital city of Sri Lanka. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Sri_Jayawardenepura_Kotte/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/) / [en](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/) / Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte # Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte From Wikipedia, [«Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte»](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Jayawardenepura_Kotte), revision of the 2026-09-01 dump, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). The trees and pragmatics of these pages, Mova's parse of that text, are CC BY-SA 4.0 too. The English Wikipedia article «Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte», whole: 17 sections, 99 sentences and 1764 words, its 11 notes at the end. The marks in brackets «[n]» are Wikipedia's own, each leading to its note and source; the small number after every sentence leads to the sentence's own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. | Facts | | | --- | --- | | | **Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte · ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර කෝට්ටේ · ஶ்ரீ ஜெயவர்த்தனபுர கோட்டை** | | | **[Administrative Capital](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrative_Capital)** | | | View from Diyawanna Lake | | | Coordinates: | | Country | [Sri Lanka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka) [corpus](../Sri_Lanka/ "in our corpus") | | [Province](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_Sri_Lanka) | [Western Province](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Province,_Sri_Lanka) | | [District](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Sri_Lanka) | [Colombo District](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombo_District) | | **Government** | | | • Municipal Council | [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Municipal Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Jayawardenepura_Kotte_Municipal_Council) | | • [Mayor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor) | Atapattu Hewa Kankanamage Yudhistira Arosa ([NPP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_People%27s_Power)) | | **Area** | | | • [Administrative Capital](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrative_Capital) | 17 km² (7 sq mi) | | **Population (2012 census)** | | | • [Administrative Capital](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrative_Capital) | 107,925 | | • Density | 3,305.0/km² (8,559.9/sq mi) | | • [Metro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_area) | 2,234,289 | | [Time zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_zone) | [UTC+5:30](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC+5:30) ([SLST](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka_Standard_Time)) | | [Postal code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_codes_in_Sri_Lanka) | 10100 | | Area code | [011](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_Sri_Lanka) | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (ʃriː dʒajəʋard̪ənəpurə ko̞ːʈːe̞ː), also known as Kotte,[\[1\]](./#ref-1 "note 1") is the legislative capital city of [Sri Lanka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka) [corpus](../Sri_Lanka/ "in our corpus").[\[2\]](./#ref-2 "note 2")[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is located adjacent to the urban area of Sri Lanka's de facto economic capital, [Colombo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombo) [corpus](../Colombo/ "in our corpus").[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") The [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Municipal Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Jayawardenepura_Kotte_Municipal_Council) area is bounded in:[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") - the North by [Kolonnawa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolonnawa) Urban Council area,[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") - the North-East by the [Kotikawatta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotikawatta)–Mulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha area,[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") - the East by the [Kaduwela](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaduwela,_Western_Province) Municipal Council area,[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") - the South-East by the [Maharagama](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharagama) Urban Council area,[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") - the South-West by the [Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehiwala-Mount_Lavinia) Municipal Council and[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") - the West by the [Colombo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombo) [corpus](../Colombo/ "in our corpus") Municipal Council area, which is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") ## History The village of Darugama lay at the confluence of two streams, the [Diyawanna Oya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diyawanna_Oya) and the Kolonnawa Oya.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") As Darugama was a naturally secure place, it was not easy for enemies to enter it.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Here, in the 13th century, a local chieftain, Nissanka [Alagakkonara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alagakkonara), built a Kotte, or fortress.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") Alagakkonara is mentioned by [Ibn Batuta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Batuta) as ruling in [Kurunegala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurunegala), but other sources indicate that he was the Bandara (Guardian) of Raigama Korale (county) in the modern [Kalutara District](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalutara_District).[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Arya Chakravarthy's army was held by Alagakkonara in front of Kotte, while he defeated the enemy's invasion fleet at Panadura to the south-west.[\[3\]](./#ref-3 "note 3")[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") Kotte was a jala durgha (water fortress), in the shape of a triangle, with the Diyawanna Oya and Kolonnawa Oya marshes forming two long sides; along the shorter third (land) side a large [moat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moat) (the 'inner moat') was dug.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") The fortress was nearly 2.5 sqkm in area, fortified with [ramparts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defensive_wall) of kabook or [laterite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laterite) rock, 2.5 m high and 10.7 m in breadth.[\[4\]](./#ref-4 "note 4")[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1391, following the conquest of the [Kingdom of Jaffna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaffna_Kingdom) by Prince [Sapumal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapumal_Kumaraya) (Sembahap Perumal), Kotte was given the epithet 'Sri Jayawardenepura' ('resplendent city of growing victory').[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") It became the capital of the ancient [Kingdom of Kotte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Kotte), which it remained until the end of the 16th century.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") From the ramparts to the magnificent three storied buildings that housed the kings palace, laterite and clay were the main raw material used in its construction.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") One of the places from which the laterite blocks were mined can be seen even today inside the premises of [Ananda Sasthralaya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananda_Sastralaya,_Kotte) (a local school).[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") The main features of the capital city were:[\[4\]](./#ref-4 "note 4")[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") - The King's palace, with walls of quartz that sparkle in the moonlight (candrakanta pasana) and a golden spire, with beautiful flower gardens and springs of water,[\[5\]](./#ref-5 "note 5")[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") - The three-storeyed Dalada Maligawa with Buddha's sacred tooth relic in it (Temple of the tooth),[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") - The five-storeyed "Arama" where sixty Buddhist Bhikkus resided, with a Sangha Raja(a high priest)as the chief incumbent,[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") - The king's treasure house,[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") - The 'Kotavehara' at Baddagana, the only Buddhist temple of the city outside the moat and rampart,[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") - The Royal cemetery at Beddagana (Veherakanda memorial),[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") - The 'Angampitiya', the military parade and training ground just inside the inner moat.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") The [Portuguese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portugal) [corpus](../Portugal/ "in our corpus") arrived on the island in 1505 and were initially welcomed by the king, but they had militaristic and monopolistic intentions and gained control of the city by 1565.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") Failing to withstand repeated assaults by the forces of the neighbouring [Kingdom of Sitawaka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Sitawaka), the city was abandoned by the Portuguese, who made Colombo their new capital.[\[6\]](./#ref-6 "note 6")[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") Like similar cities of that era, Sri Jayawardenepura was built with security in mind.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") A rampart and [moat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moat) protected the entire city.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") Traces of this moat and rampart are still visible today at certain places.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") Along parts of the rampart, encroachers have now built houses, garages and even toilets.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") The [urbanisation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbanisation) of Kotte restarted in the 19th century.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") The archaeological remains were torn up and used as building materials (a process that continues)—some of it even ending up in the Victoria Bridge, across the Kelani River.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") Sri Lanka formally changed its administrative capital from [Colombo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombo) [corpus](../Colombo/ "in our corpus") to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte in 1982.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") While designated as the new capital in 1977 to relieve congestion in Colombo, the official relocation was marked by the inauguration of the new Parliament building in Kotte on 29 April 1982.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Legislature The New [Parliament](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Sri_Lanka) was inaugurated on 29 April 1982.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") The buildings were built on reclaimed land, after a massive lake was formed by dredging the marshlands around the [Diyawanna Oya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diyawanna_Oya).[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") The new parliamentary buildings were built on Duwa, a 50,000 square metre (12 acre) island in the centre of the lake.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") The island (off Baddegana Road, Pita Kotte) had been used as a recreation and brawling spot for Portuguese soldiers in the last days of Kotte era, alcohol being banned from the Royal City.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") It had belonged to E. W. Perera and had housed a chicken farm prior to being vested in the state.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") On 29 April 1982, the new parliamentary complex was formally declared open by [president](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Sri_Lanka) [J. R. Jayewardene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._Jayewardene).[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") The process of relocating government institutions from the former capital of Colombo is still in progress.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Municipal structure The Kotte Urban Development Council was created in the 1930s, with a modern building at [Rajagiriya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajagiriya).[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") It was succeeded by the Kotte Urban Council, which had a large section of its area removed and tagged onto the Colombo Municipal Council ward of Borella while the [Battaramulla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battaramulla) urban council was dissolved and a small section of Battaramulla tagged onto the Kotte Urban Council.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") The Kotte Urban Council became the Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Municipal Council in 1997, with Chandra Silva as the first Mayor.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") There are 20 Members of the Municipal Council (MMCs), elected on proportional representation.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") There are 18 wards, but these are now merely polling divisions, without individual representation.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Zones - [Pita Kotte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pita_Kotte)[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") - [Ethul Kotte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethul_Kotte)[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") - [Nawala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawala)[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") - [Nugegoda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nugegoda)[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") - [Rajagiriya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajagiriya)[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Wards Ward map of Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte Municipal Council[\[7\]](./#ref-7 "note 7")[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") | Ward No. | Ward name | | --- | --- | | 01 | Obesekarapura | | 02 | Moragasmulla | | 03 | Meda Welikada | | 04 | Rajagiriya | | 05 | Bandaranayakapura | | 06 | Nawala West | | 07 | Koswatta | | 08 | Ethulkotte | | 09 | Pitakotte East | | 10 | Pitakotte | | 11 | Pitakotte West | | 12 | Nawala East | | 13 | Nugegoda West | | 14 | Pagoda North | | 15 | Gangodavila East | | 16 | Pagoda South | | 17 | Nugegoda East | | 18 | Gangodavila West | ### Grama Niladhari Division See also: [Grama Niladhari](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grama_Niladhari) | Division No. | Division name | | --- | --- | | 514 | Welikada East | | 514A | Welikada West | | 514B | Rajagiriya | | 514C | Obesekarapura | | 514D | Welikada North | | 519 | Nugegoda | | 519A | Pagoda | | 519B | Nugegoda West | | 519C | Pagoda East | | 520 | Nawala West | | 520A | Koswatte | | 520B | Nawala East | | 521 | Ethul Kotte | | 521A | Ethul Kotte West | | 522 | Pitakotte West | | 522A | Pitakotte East | | 522B | Pitakotte | | 526 | Gangodavila North | | 526A | Gangodavila South | | 526C | Gangodavila East | ## Demographics Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious urban centre.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") According to the census of 2012, the demographics by ethnicity and religion is as follows:[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") align=top\| Ethnic identification in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, 2012[\[8\]](./#ref-8 "note 8")[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") | Ethnic group | Population | Percentage | | --- | --- | --- | | [Sinhalese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinhalese_people) | 91,268 | 84.89% | | [Sri Lankan Tamil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Tamil_people) | 7,503 | 6.98% | | [Sri Lankan Moor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Moor) | 5,207 | 4.84% | | [Burgher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgher_people) | 1,049 | 0.98% | | [Indian Tamil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Tamils_of_Sri_Lanka) | 801 | 0.75% | | [Malay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Malays) | 710 | 0.66% | | [Sri Lankan Chetty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Chetty) | 72 | 0.07% | | [Baratha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baratha) | 58 | 0.05% | | Other | 840 | 0.78% | | Total | 107,508 | 100.00% | align=top\| Religious identification in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, 2012[\[9\]](./#ref-9 "note 9")[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") | Religion | Population | Percentage | | --- | --- | --- | | [Buddhist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Sri_Lanka) | 82,841 | 77.06% | | [Roman Catholic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholicism_in_Sri_Lanka) | 7,827 | 7.28% | | [Muslim](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Sri_Lanka) | 6,772 | 6.30% | | Other Christian | 5,040 | 4.69% | | [Hindu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_Sri_Lanka) | 4,864 | 4.52% | | Other | 164 | 0.15% | | Total | 107,508 | 100.00% | ## Infrastructure ### Transport The only main railway station is at [Nugegoda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nugegoda), on the [Kelani Valley Line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelani_Valley_Line).[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") Also at Nugegoda is the main bus terminus.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") There are subsidiary bus stands at Pita Kotte.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") This urban area is well served by buses and there is a [SLTB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka_Transport_Board) bus depot at Udahamulla.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2005, a Passenger boat service was being finalised and would commence adjacent to Parliament Junction at Battaramulla and end at the Wellawatte canal near Marine drive.[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") Each journey would take around 30 minutes.[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") It would have stations at the Kotte Marsh, [Nawala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawala), [Open University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_University_of_Sri_Lanka), [Apollo Hospital](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanka_Hospitals), Duplication road, [Wellawatte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellawatte) and at [St Peter's College, Colombo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Peter%27s_College,_Colombo).[\[10\]](./#ref-10 "note 10")[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") The Sri Lanka Navy is conducting a pilot project between the Open University and Wellawatte.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Health The main hospital of area situated at Madivela known as Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital is a gift from the Japanese government.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") There is a dedicated Eye & ENT hospital at [Rajagiriya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajagiriya), and another maternity hospital under construction in Nawala.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") A small private health centre, the Blue Cross Hospital at Rajagiriya, provides basic facilities for medical diagnostics, and there is a small nursing home in Park Lane, Welikada, much patronised by [Maldivians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_the_Maldives).[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Education There are a number of state and private schools in Kotte.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") They are either "national schools" (run by the central government; Main School [President's College, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President%27s_College,_Sri_Jayawardenepura_Kotte)), "government schools" (run by the [Provincial Councils](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provincial_Councils_%28Sri_Lanka%29)), semi-government/private schools, or International schools (run by trusts and individuals; [Gateway College Colombo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_College,_Sri_Lanka) is an example of the latter class of school).[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") The oldest English school on the island is [Sri Jayawardenepura Maha Vidyalaya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Jayawardenepura_Maha_Vidyalaya), formerly known as [Christian College](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_College), located in Pita Kotte.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") The [Ananda Sastralaya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananda_Sastralaya) at Pita Kotte is the oldest Buddhist school in the city, and [Anula Vidyalaya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anula_Vidyalaya), [Nugegoda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nugegoda) is the third-largest Buddhist girls school in South Asia, with over 5000 students.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") The [Education Ministry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Education_%28Sri_Lanka%29) as well as the Department of Examinations is based in Kotte.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") A considerable number of the students living within the zone study at government owned colleges and International schools in Colombo.[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") Located at [Nawala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawala) is the [Open University, Sri Lanka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_University,_Sri_Lanka), and at [Nugegoda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nugegoda) is the [University of Sri Jayewardenepura](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Sri_Jayewardenepura).[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") Public [Libraries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libraries) are conveniently located, and can be found at [Nugegoda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nugegoda) and [Rajagiriya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajagiriya).[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Climate Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte features a [tropical rainforest climate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_rainforest_climate) ([Köppen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Köppen-Geiger_climate_classification_system): Af) more subject to the [Intertropical Convergence Zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intertropical_Convergence_Zone) than the [trade winds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_wind).[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") Since there are a few [cyclones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone), the climate is not purely equatorial but subequatorial, with little variation in temperatures throughout the course of the year.[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") The city does feature wetter and drier months, with February on average being its driest month, seeing on average 63 mm of precipitation.[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") However, since none of the average monthly precipitation falls below 60 mm, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte falls under the tropical rainforest climate category.[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Sports and recreation [Cricket](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket) is the most popular sport in this urban area as well as the country and is usually played in the grounds around the city.[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics") [Association football](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football) was at one time the most popular sport in the Colombo area, although it was eclipsed by cricket after 1980.[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics") Four separate football clubs (Lido, Welikada Progress, Welikada Red Star and Welikada United) once used the EW Perera Park grounds at Welikada, Rajagiriya where a pavilion was constructed in the 1970s.[86](86/ "tree and pragmatics") However, when the grounds were destroyed by the [JR Jayawardene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JR_Jayawardene) regime in the late 1970s, the football clubs disappeared.[87](87/ "tree and pragmatics") Football continued to be played at the grounds at Obeysekerapura in Rajagiriya.[88](88/ "tree and pragmatics") In the 1990s, the Kotte Municipal Council constructed the Chandra Silva Stadium, to replace the EW Perera Grounds.[89](89/ "tree and pragmatics") Part of the grounds was sold and later used to construct the HSBC building.[90](90/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2007 the Municipality, with aid from the Ministry of Urban Development, completed the first stage of the new Chandra Silva Stadium on the site of a rubbish dump behind the HSBC building.[91](91/ "tree and pragmatics") Recently, football has once more grown in popularity, and the sport now has a considerable following.[92](92/ "tree and pragmatics") The football association's new training facility at Kotte is aimed at harnessing and developing the available talent and organizing the individual players into a cohesive team.[93](93/ "tree and pragmatics") It includes a football playground with a sprinkler system, gym and a host of other facilities.[\[11\]](./#ref-11 "note 11")[94](94/ "tree and pragmatics") Other sports are mostly played in the numerous clubs and [gyms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyms), and include tennis, squash, billiards, horse riding, indoor cricket, badminton and table tennis.[95](95/ "tree and pragmatics") Horse riding can be pursued at the Premadasa Riding School in Nugegoda.[96](96/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Notable residents - [Edward Walter Perera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._W._Perera) (1875–1953), a Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) barrister, politician and freedom fighter.[97](97/ "tree and pragmatics") - Sir [James Peter Obeyesekere II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Peter_Obeyesekere_II) [Maha Mudaliyar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Mudaliyars), [JP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_of_the_Peace) (1879–1968), a [Ceylonese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Sri_Lanka) colonial-era [headmen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_headmen_of_Ceylon), the last [Head Mudaliyar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Mudaliyars) and served as [aide-de-camp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aide-de-camp) to the British [Governor of Ceylon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_Ceylon) and [Governor General of Ceylon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_General_of_Ceylon).[98](98/ "tree and pragmatics") - [Tissa Abeysekara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tissa_Abeysekara) (1939–2009), an eminent film personality.[99](99/ "tree and pragmatics") ## See also [University of Sri Jayewardenepura](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Sri_Jayewardenepura) ## External links [Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte Municipal Council](http://www.kotte.mc.gov.lk/) [University of Sri Jayawardenepura](http://www.sjp.ac.lk/) [1400–1565 A. D](https://web.archive.org/web/20071016183314/http://defonseka.com/hist_kotte01.htm) ## References {#references} 1\. "[News 1st: Madura Vithanage elected as the Mayor of Sri Jayewardenapura Kotte M C](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CFcYNWUC7mM)". *[YouTube](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube)*. 2\. "[The Administrative Capital of Sri Lanka since 1982 is Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte.](http://www.priu.gov.lk/Parliament/ParliamentHistory.html)". *Official Sri Lanka government website*. 3\. "[Sri Lanka: A Country Study.](http://countrystudies.us/sri-lanka/7.htm)". *Russell R. Ross and Andrea Matles Savada*. 4\. "[Divisional Secretariat](http://www.ds.gov.lk/ds/kotte/english/index.php?p=cultural_background)". 5\. Edmund Jayasuriya (Tr), *sälaḷihini sandeśa of Toṭagamuve Srī Rāhula Thera*, Colombo: Central Cultural Fund, 2002, ISBN 955-613-144-2 6\. "[European encroachment and dominance](http://countrystudies.us/sri-lanka/8.htm)". *U.S. Library of Congress*. 7\. "[Ward Map of Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte Municipal Council – Colombo District](http://www.lgpc.gov.lk/downloads/Ward%20Maps/WP/Colombo/03SJPuraKotte.pdf)". 8\. "[Department of Census and Statistics Sri Lanka – Population by ethnicity and district according to Divisional Secretary's Division, 2012](http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/index.php?fileName=pop32&gp=Activities&tpl=3)". 9\. "[Department of Census and Statistics Sri Lanka – Population by divisional secretariat division, religion and sex- 2012](http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/District/Colombo/A4.pdf)". 10\. "[Canal transport to ease traffic pile up](https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2005/07/10/new36.html)". *Chanuka Mannapperuma*. 11\. "[National training centre for Football at Beddegana](http://www.srilankafootball.com/ffsl/goal_project2.shtml)". *Sri Lanka Football*. - ↑ back to [English Wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/)