Kalutara

43 kilometers away from Colombo lies Kalutara on the west coast of the island. Kalutara is home to the famed Kalutara Bodhiya which adds a sense of spirituality to the bustling city. The Kalutara Bodhiyawas built in the 1960s and it is believed to be the only entirely hollow Buddha Stupa in the world. Today, the looming Kalutara Bodhiya has become an integral part of the city’s identity. The calm soothing splendour of Sri Lanka’s fourth largest river, the Kalu Ganga, adds to the peaceful ambience of Kalutara. The literal translation of the river’s name is “The Black River” and it flows from the summit of Adam’s Peak, gushing through the veins of the gem rich Ratnapura District only to meet the sea at Kalutara.

The famed Richmond Castle in Kalutara is not only rich in name but also in style, class and history. The grand mansion was designed by a Britisharchitect who invoked the architecture of the castle with a British touch for a regional governor called Padikara Mudaliyar Rajawasala Appuhamilage Don Arthur de Silva Wijesinghe Siriwardena (1888-1949). With 15 stately rooms, 38 windows, 99 door frames, many decorative mirrors and one single roof that amasses the entire structure of the mansion, the Richmond Castle is the area’s epitome of colonial grandeur. The mansion depicts a blend of Indian and British architecture.

Reflecting the influence of the colonisers, the Kalamulla coastal stretch in Kalutara is dotted with elegant Roman Catholic churches. Calido Beach is yet another serene beach strip you can explore when in Kalutara.

Kalutara - VISIT 2 SRI LANKA
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