Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Encyclopedia
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Is a newly created city lying immediately south of Colombo
, one of the largest cities in Sri Lanka
. It is the result of certain key urban suburbs and communities combined for administrative purposes. The centres include Dehiwala and the beach resort of Mount Lavinia. Population (2001) 209,787. It is also home to Sri Lanka's National Zoological Gardens which remains one of Asia's largest. Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia lie directly south of Colombo along the Galle Road artery which runs along the coast down to the south of the country.
which is also reported to be the first enclosed complex of its kind in the country. Dehiwala during recent years have become an attractive location for holiday accommodation facilities for both business travelers and holiday makers as a result of its close proximity to Colombo and Mount Lavinia beach.
The town has also suffered extensive pollution as a result of uncontrolled growth and heavy congestion. Road expansion has been futile and the consideration of over-head roads and Colombo Metro Skytrain line are currently underway to ease the problem.
The city's name is built up around the original residence of Sir Thomas Maitland who was the Governor General of Ceylon from 1805–1811. At a welcoming party held in his honour on his arrival in the island he saw Lovina, a local mestizo dancer, whose father was the headman of the troupe. Sir Thomas was smitten by her smile and charms and soon found himself obsessed by her and took every measure possible to see more of her.
As it was unconventional for an unmarried British Officer to be seen associating with a local dancing girl, Sir Thomas and his lover met in secret. Legend says she was smuggled into his mansion through a secret tunnel that led from her father's well into a wine cellar in the house.
In 1811, social convention and duty to his king, led Sir Thomas Maitland to leave the country for Malta
, where he lived and died as a bachelor. The tunnel was eventually sealed in 1920 and the Gypsy village that surrounded the Governor’s mansion developed into a modern bustling city that took its name from the beautiful Lovina. But the governor’s home, which he named "Mount Lavinia House" and his monument to his only love, has been preserved within the walls and high ceilings of what is today the Mount Lavinia Hotel.
The statue of 'Lady' Lavinia, as the girl later became known, is still found in the middle of a water fountain at the entrance of the Mount Lavinia Hotel.
There are other explanations rooted in geography and the natural surroundings, when it comes to the origin of the name Mount Lavinia. The Sinhalese who lived on the coastal belt had for long named the promontory "Lihiniya Kanda" or "Lihiniyagala" meaning the hill of the sea gull or the rock of the sea gull.
The local name for the town today is Galkissa - Kissa being a somewhat obsolete Sinhala word for rock. Legend takes over once again with the story of a large treasure from a shipwreck being hidden among the rocks here.
Whatever the legends, the town came into official recognition when Governor Maitland used the postal address Mt. Lavinia, Ceylon, in 1805, while writing to the British Secretary of State, Lord Castlereagh.
Mount Lavinia came from mount la verna (where St. Francis had the sigmata)
, Colombo the house was turned into a hotel. During World War II
the hotel was used as a military hospital
. Some scenes of the film The Bridge on the River Kwai
where filmed at the house. In 1947 Mount Lavinia Hotel started operating in this house.
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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...
, one of the largest cities 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...
. It is the result of certain key urban suburbs and communities combined for administrative purposes. The centres include Dehiwala and the beach resort of Mount Lavinia. Population (2001) 209,787. It is also home to Sri Lanka's National Zoological Gardens which remains one of Asia's largest. Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia lie directly south of Colombo along the Galle Road artery which runs along the coast down to the south of the country.
Dehiwala
The town of Dehiwala has seen rapid industrialisation and urbanisation in recent years. Located on the border to Colombo, the cheaper land has resulted in a real estate boom with hyper-markets, department stores and apartment complexes dotting its skyline. There are also many housing schemes surrounding the wild-life inhabited Attidiya Lake further inland - one of these is Lotus GroveLotus Grove
Lotus Grove is an enclosed housing complex in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia which is a suburb just south of Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.-occupation:...
which is also reported to be the first enclosed complex of its kind in the country. Dehiwala during recent years have become an attractive location for holiday accommodation facilities for both business travelers and holiday makers as a result of its close proximity to Colombo and Mount Lavinia beach.
The town has also suffered extensive pollution as a result of uncontrolled growth and heavy congestion. Road expansion has been futile and the consideration of over-head roads and Colombo Metro Skytrain line are currently underway to ease the problem.
Mount Lavinia
The town is largely a middle class and mostly residential suburb that had until now escaped most of the damaging industrialisation of neighbouring cities and urban centres. Famed for its "Golden Mile" of beaches, it has often been a hot spot for tourism and laid back nightlife. It is one of the most liberal regions in Sri Lanka and plays host to the island's annual gay pride and Rainbow Kite Festival.The city's name is built up around the original residence of Sir Thomas Maitland who was the Governor General of Ceylon from 1805–1811. At a welcoming party held in his honour on his arrival in the island he saw Lovina, a local mestizo dancer, whose father was the headman of the troupe. Sir Thomas was smitten by her smile and charms and soon found himself obsessed by her and took every measure possible to see more of her.
As it was unconventional for an unmarried British Officer to be seen associating with a local dancing girl, Sir Thomas and his lover met in secret. Legend says she was smuggled into his mansion through a secret tunnel that led from her father's well into a wine cellar in the house.
In 1811, social convention and duty to his king, led Sir Thomas Maitland to leave the country for Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, where he lived and died as a bachelor. The tunnel was eventually sealed in 1920 and the Gypsy village that surrounded the Governor’s mansion developed into a modern bustling city that took its name from the beautiful Lovina. But the governor’s home, which he named "Mount Lavinia House" and his monument to his only love, has been preserved within the walls and high ceilings of what is today the Mount Lavinia Hotel.
The statue of 'Lady' Lavinia, as the girl later became known, is still found in the middle of a water fountain at the entrance of the Mount Lavinia Hotel.
There are other explanations rooted in geography and the natural surroundings, when it comes to the origin of the name Mount Lavinia. The Sinhalese who lived on the coastal belt had for long named the promontory "Lihiniya Kanda" or "Lihiniyagala" meaning the hill of the sea gull or the rock of the sea gull.
The local name for the town today is Galkissa - Kissa being a somewhat obsolete Sinhala word for rock. Legend takes over once again with the story of a large treasure from a shipwreck being hidden among the rocks here.
Whatever the legends, the town came into official recognition when Governor Maitland used the postal address Mt. Lavinia, Ceylon, in 1805, while writing to the British Secretary of State, Lord Castlereagh.
Popular Religious Places
- Bellanwila Rajamaha Viharaya (Bellanwila Temple)
- Sri Vishnu Kovil
Suburbs
- Dehiwala
- Mount - Lavinia
- Attidiya
- Kalubowila
- Kohuwela
- Nedimala
- Ratmalana
Mount Lavinia came from mount la verna (where St. Francis had the sigmata)
The governor's house
This historical site situated on a short cliff on the beach of Mount Lavinia, was built around 1805–1811 by Sir Thomas Maitland. Later when the governor's house was moved to the current President's HousePresident's House, Colombo
President's House is the official residence of the President of Sri Lanka, located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It used to be the Queen's House until Sri Lanka became a Republic in 1972.-History:...
, Colombo the house was turned into a hotel. During World War II
World 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...
the hotel was used as a military hospital
Military hospital
Military hospital is a hospital, which is generally located on a military base and is reserved for the use of military personnel, their dependents or other authorized users....
. Some scenes of the film The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 British World War II film by David Lean based on The Bridge over the River Kwai by French writer Pierre Boulle. The film is a work of fiction but borrows the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942–43 for its historical setting. It stars William...
where filmed at the house. In 1947 Mount Lavinia Hotel started operating in this house.
Schools
- Central College,Dehiwala
- S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia
- Lalith Athulathmudali College, Mt. Lavinia
- Science College, Mt. Lavinia
- Girls High School, Mt. Lavinia
- Buddhist Girls School, Mt. Lavinia
- Holy Family Convent, Dehiwala
- Alethea International , Dehiwala
- Presbyterian Girls School, Dehiwala
- Colombo Hindu College, Ratmalana
Notable residents
- Ranil AbeynaikeRanil AbeynaikeRanil Gemunu Abeynaike is a former Sri Lankan cricketer. Abeynaike was a right-handed batsman who bowled slow left-arm orthodox. Born at Mount Lavinia in the Dominion of Ceylon ....
(1955-), cricketer - Uthum HeratUthum HeratDr. Amal Uthum Herat , in Colombo, Sri Lanka was Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and Alternate Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund.-Education:...
(deceased) - Professor Devaka Fernando
- Dr. Ranil D. Gunarathne
- Dr BDJS Fernando
Demographics
| Ethnicity | Population | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sinhalese 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... |
158,070 | 75.35 |
| Sri Lankan Tamils | 22,737 | 10.84 |
| Indian Tamils Indian Tamils Indian Tamils may refer to:* Tamil people from or living in India* Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka... |
2,060 | 0.98 |
| Sri Lankan 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... |
20,357 | 9.70 |
| Other (including Burgher 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... , Malay) |
6,563 | 3.13 |
| Total | 209,787 | 100 |
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