Ahungalla is a small coastal town, located in Galle District , Southern Province, Sri Lanka , governed by an Urban Council . It is approximately 76.6 kilometres (47.6 mi) south of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 12 metres (39 ft) above the sea level.
11-397: Ahungalla is known primarily for its sandy beach, accompanied by a wide palm belt, considered to be one of the best on the island. The village is located about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Bentota , 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of the provincial capital Galle at Cape Point Ahungalla. The neighboring villages are Kosgoda to the north and Balapitiya in the south. Southeast of
22-450: A coastal sanatorium . Sir James Emerson Tennent (1804–1869), the colonial secretary of Ceylon (1845–1850) in his book, Ceylon, An Account of the Island (1859), stated that the rest house at Bentota was situated within a little park, deeply shaded by lofty Tamarind trees on the point of the beach where the river forms its junction with the sea. He wrote that stated that this rest house
33-412: A destination for watersports . Bentota also delivers an ancient art of healing called Ayurveda . Bentota is famous for its toddy production, an alcoholic beverage made out of coconut nectar. It also has a turtle hatchery, located on Induruwa beach (6 km from Bentota). Aluthgama railway station Aluthgama railway station ( Sinhala : අලුත්ගම දුම්රිය ස්ථානය , Tamil : அளுத்கமை ரயில் நிலையம் )
44-562: Is a railway station on the coastal railway line of Sri Lanka . It is situated between Hettimulla and Bentota railway stations . It is 59.7 kilometres (37.1 mi) along the railway line from the Colombo Fort Railway Station at an elevation of 7.92 m (26.0 ft) above sea level. In 1887, work commenced on extending the Coastal line, which at that time ran from Colombo to Kaluthara. The extension through to Aluthgama
55-717: Is believed that the Galapatha Viharaya (which is referred to in chronicles Mahavamsa and Pujavaliya by the name Bhimatittha Viharaya in Pasyodun District) was maybe a cluster of five ancient temples in the region. The 13th-century rock inscription at Galapatha Viharaya also mentions the name Bhimatittha. In the 17th century the Portuguese built a small fort at the mouth of the Bentota River (Bentara Ganga), which in Sinhala
66-514: Is located on the A2 highway , connecting Colombo to Wellawaya , about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of Beruwala . Access is possible from the Southern Expressway Welipenna exit and only 10 km from the exit. Helicopters fly shuttle services on charter basis. Bentota is a tourist attraction, with a local airport ( Bentota River Airport ) and a handful of world-class hotels. It is
77-522: The Coastal or Southern Rail Line (connecting Colombo through to Matara ), and the A2 highway , connecting Colombo to Wellawaya . This Southern Province, Sri Lanka location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bentota 6°25′N 80°00′E / 6.42°N 80.00°E / 6.42; 80.00 Bentota is a coastal town in Sri Lanka , located in
88-550: The Galle District of the Southern Province . It is approximately 65 kilometres (40 mi) south of Colombo and 56 kilometres (35 mi) north of Galle . Bentota is situated on the southern bank of the Bentota River mouth, at an elevation of 3 metres (9.8 ft) above the sea level. Bentota has been identified as the ancient Bhimatirtha and the area is also described in ancient messenger poems ( sandeśa kāvya ). It
99-409: The town is the mangrove area of Madu Ganga . The largest and most well-known building in the town is the luxury hotel, Heritance Ahungalla (formerly Hotel Triton), designed by notable Sri Lankan architect , Geoffrey Bawa , and constructed from 1979 to 1981. As with the entire region Ahungalla was devastated by the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake . Ahungalla is located on
110-458: Was called Parangi Kotuwa, meaning the fort of the Portuguese. The river marked the southern extremity of Portuguese-held territory in Sri Lanka. The Dutch subsequently allowed the fort to fall into disrepair, converting one of the large buildings within the fort into a colonial rest house for Dutch Officers travelling between Colombo and Galle . The British subsequently converted the rest house into
121-553: Was one of the coolest and most agreeable in Ceylon. The British introduced the railway in the early 19th century, mainly to transport the coconut produce from the deep south to the capital, building a permanent bridge (Bentota Palama) to cross the river. Bentota is located on the Coastal or Southern Rail Line (connecting Colombo through to Matara ), though Bentota Halt is only a small railway station with most trains stopping at Aluthgama , 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) north of Bentota. It
SECTION 10
#1733086003504#503496