Kalutara

A coastal town at the mouth of the Kalu Ganga, wrapped around a long golden beach and famous for its landmark hollow riverside stupa.

Overview

Kalutara is the capital of Kalutara District, spread along the southwest coast where the broad Kalu Ganga (Black River) meets the sea about 40 km south of Colombo. The town is anchored by the gleaming white Kalutara Chaitya, a rare hollow stupa beside the river bridge that almost every traveller heading south stops to worship at. Behind it run wide swimming beaches and coconut estates, while the district is long known for its mangosteen orchards and its basket and mat weaving. Its position on the main coastal road and railway makes it an easy first or last stop on a southern journey.

History

Kalutara was an important spice-trading port from early times and passed successively under Portuguese, Dutch and British control, each fortifying the strategic river mouth. A colonial fort once stood on the rise now occupied by the Gangatilaka Vihara and Kalutara Chaitya. Under the British the surrounding hinterland became a centre for rubber and mangosteen cultivation, and the town grew as a market and administrative centre for the district.