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City life · Kurunegala

Kurunegala: The Town Beneath Elephant Rock

By Days of Iru and Opa
Kurunegala: The Town Beneath Elephant Rock
📷 Sandaruwan Rajapaksha 2003 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons · source

Kurunegala is a regional hub in the north-west, briefly a medieval royal capital, set beneath a cluster of huge rock outcrops. The largest, Ethagala or Elephant Rock, gives the town its landmark backdrop.

Ethagala

A road and steps climb Elephant Rock to a large white Buddha statue at the top, with wide views over the town and the surrounding tanks and paddy.

The lake

Kurunegala Lake below is a calm spot for an evening walk, popular with locals at sunset.

A useful hub

The town sits on the routes between Colombo, Kandy and Anuradhapura, making it a handy stop rather than a destination in itself.

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