Kalutara
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Kalutara කළුතර களுத்துறை |
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|---|---|
| City | |
 Kalutara
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| Coordinates: 6°35′13″N 79°57′37″E / 6.58694°N 79.96028°ECoordinates: 6°35′13″N 79°57′37″E / 6.58694°N 79.96028°E | |
| Province | Western Province |
| Government | |
| • Type | Urban Council |
| Population | |
| • Total | 39,700 |
| Time zone | Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone (UTC+5:30) |
| • Summer (DST) | Summer time (UTC+6) |
Kalutara (Sinhalese: කළුතර, Tamil: களுத்துறை) or Kalutota is a major city in Kalutara District, Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is also the administrative capital of Kalutara District. It is located approximately 40 km (25 mi) south of the capital Colombo.
Once an important spice-trading center, the town's name is derived from the Kalu Ganga River ('Black River' in native Sinhala). In the 11th Century, the town was temporarily made a capital on the orders of a South Indian Prince. The region was later planted with coconut trees, whose by-products are used for both internal and external trade. The location also boast fortifications (Kalutara fort) dating back from the times when Portuguese, Dutch and British vied for control of the area.
The 38 m (125 ft) long Kalutara Bridge was built at the mouth of the Kalu Ganga River and serves as a major link between the country's western and southern border.
Kalutara is governed by an Urban Council with a chairman. The council has 11 members, elected by the local government election. The local board of Kalutara was established in 1878. Then in 1923, the local board was succeeded by the Urban District Council.
Kalutara has three national schools, eleven provincial schools, two semi-government schools and three international schools. It also has a branch of Open University of Sri Lanka and the JMC International College. A number of the schools and colleges are listed below:
Kalutara Public library is one of the largest libraries of Sri Lanka and is located near the High Court.
Kalutara has two railway stations, Kalutara North and Kalutara South. Kalutara South, however, is the one closest to the heart of the Kalutara town. Kalutara south railway station is a major railway hub on the Coastal or Southern Rail Line (connecting Colombo through to Matara).
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Wikipedia