| Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia | |
| Official Name: | Colombo Metropolitan Region |
| Native Name: | |
| Settlement Type: | Suburb |
| Motto: | Think differently and hope for the best! |
| Pushpin Map: | Sri Lanka Colombo District |
| Coordinates: | 6.8731°N 79.8758°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Sri Lanka |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name1: | Western Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Colombo District |
| Leader Title: | Municipal Council |
| Leader Name: | Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council |
| Leader Title1: | Headquarters |
| Leader Name1: | DMMC – Dehiwala |
| Area Total Km2: | 21.09 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 8.142895 |
| Elevation M: | 1 |
| Population Total: | 245,974 |
| Population As Of: | 2012 [1] |
| Population Density Km2: | 11663 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 10350 (Dehiwala) / 10370 (Mt Lavinia) |
| Area Code: | 011 |
| Timezone: | SLST |
| Utc Offset: | +5:30 |
| Leader Name2: | Stanley Dias |
| Leader Title2: | Mayor |
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia (Sinhala; Sinhalese: දෙහිවල-ගල්කිස්ස|translit=Dehivala-Galkissa; Tamil: தெஹிவளை-கல்கிசை|translit=Tehivaḷai-Kalkicai), population 245,974 (2012),[2] is a large municipality in Sri Lanka, covering . It lies south of the Colombo Municipal Council area and is separated from it by the Dehiwala canal which forms the northern boundary of DMMC. Its southern limits lie in Borupana Road and the eastern boundary is Weras Ganga with its canal system and it includes some areas to its east (Pepiliyana, Gangodawila and Kohuwala).[3] This town has experienced extensive population growth and rapid industrialisation and urbanisation in recent years. It is home to Sri Lanka's National Zoological Gardens, which remains one of Asia's largest. Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila and Colombo Airport, Ratmalana are some important landmarks in this area. Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia and Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte being two large suburban centres of the city of Colombo function together as one large urban agglomeration in the Region (Western Province). The overspill from the City in residential and commercial uses of land has rapidly urbanised these suburban centres. Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia and Sri Jayawardenpaura along with Colombo Municipal Council form the most urbanised part of the core area of the Colombo Metropolitan Region. Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia lie along the Galle Road artery, which runs along the coast to the south of the country.[4]
There are many stories about the history of this area. One of those is Diya Wala which means a dip or hole filled with water. In the past this area was full of ponds and lakes; thus it became known as Diyawala (an area filled with water) and later on it became Dehiwala. Another story in regard to this name is that this area has many lime trees or a forest of lime trees and people called it Dehiwala. It is said that the king of Kotte filled all his lime requirements from this area.
Before colonisation of the maritime region by the Portuguese, the area covered by the present DMMC was part of the Kingdom of Kotte. It comprised a number of villages such as Pepiliyana Nedimala, Attidiya and Kalubowila, while Ratmalana and areas south of Dehiwala were together one large expanse of marshland, and scarcely populated.
During the Portuguese occupation, the Kingdom of Kotte was ruled by king Don Juan Dharmapala, and it encompassed the above-mentioned villages. Early records also indicate that in the year 1510 AD the village of “Galkissa” is mentioned and named after the rocky mound (Lihiniyagala) protruding into the Bay. Fascinating tales are woven round this rock and the village “Galkissa”. The Dutch invaders called the mound “the pregnant wench”.
With the arrival of the Dutch in the early seventeenth century, a more organised administrative structure was in place, whereby a broad-based taxation and legal system evolved.
However, it was only during British occupation (19th Century) that a Provincial administrative (Kachcheri) system and a form of Local Government developed. When the second Governor of Ceylon, Sir Thomas Maitland, acquired land at "Galkissa" (Mount Lavinia), he decided in 1806 to construct a personal residence there. Maitland fell in love with Lovina Aponsuwa, a local mestiço dancer, and continued a romantic affair with her until he was recalled to England in 1811. The Governor's mansion, which he named "Mount Lavinia House" is now the Mount Lavinia Hotel and the village that surrounded the building has subsequently developed into a bustling area, taking its name from the Governor's mistress, Lovina. Later, the area assumed the name of Mount Lavinia alluding to the factual story of a romance between the then British Governor Thomas Maitland (1805–1812) and a dancing girl called Lovina of the area.
Dehiwela, Mount Lavinia attained Municipal status in December 1959. Dehiwela Mount Lavinia as a Local body of 6 wards extending over a land extent of only 16.3 km2 (1630ha). Due to rapid urban growth and for administrative reasons this area was extended and divided into 19 wards in 1959 and given Municipal status. Later in 1967 the municipality was increased to an area of approximately 2109ha was apportioned into 29 wards, as it exists today.
As the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia area lies on the coastal plain the land is mostly flat and undulating towards the inland areas. A significant feature is the large extent of wetlands around the Weras Ganga (river) and Bolgoda Lake, the two major water bodies. The Bellanwila and Attidiya marshes are noteworthy for their biodiversity and as such are considered as an ecological protected zone. Lying in the wet zone, the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia area receives an average annual rainfall between mainly during the southwest monsoon and the intermonsoon periods. The mean average day temperature is around and the average maximum between 30.5 and 31 °C. The minimum night temperature varies from 26 °C to 27 °C.
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is a suburb of Colombo Metropolitan Region. Its Municipality comprises the following areas.[5]
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipality area is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city.
| Denomination | 2012 | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Religion | ||||
| Buddhist | 111,330 | 60.84% | ||
| Islam | 29,928 | 16.35% | ||
| Hindu | 15,978 | 8.73% | ||
| Roman Catholic | 12,726 | 6.95% | ||
| Other Christian | 8,250 | 4.51% | ||
| Other | 4,784 | 2.61% | ||
| align=left style="background: #99CCFF;" | Total | 182,996 | 100.00% | |
| Ethnicity | ||||
| Sinhalese | 128,363 | 70.15% | ||
| Sri Lankan Moor | 26,875 | 14.69% | ||
| Sri Lankan Tamil | 20,769 | 11.35% | ||
| Burgher | 2,609 | 1.43% | ||
| Indian Tamil | 2,095 | 1.14% | ||
| Malay | 1,102 | 0.60% | ||
| Other | 964 | 0.53% | ||
| Sri Lankan Chetty | 139 | 0.08% | ||
| Baratha | 80 | 0.04% | ||
| align=left style="background: #99CCFF;" | Total | 182,996 | 100.00% | |
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is a suburb of the Colombo Metropolitan Area, with a Municipal Council form of government. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia's mayor and the council members are elected through local government elections held once every five years. The city government provides sewer, road management and waste management services, water, electricity and telephone utility services. The council liaises with the road development authority, water supply and drainage board, the Ceylon electricity board and telephone service providers.
There are 2 Divisional Secretaries in the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia area
The Sri Lanka Police, the main law enforcement agency of the island, liaise with the municipal council, but is under the control of the Ministry of Defence of the central government. As with most Sri Lankan cities, the magistrate court handles felony crimes, the district court handles civil cases. There are 3 police stations within the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia area[10] [11]
Colombo has an extensive public transport system based on buses operated by both private operators and the government-owned Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB). The primary bus terminals within the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia — Dehiwala Bus Terminal, Mount Lavinia Bus Terminal and Ratmalana Bus Terminal — handle local services.
See main article: Sri Lanka Railways.
There are three railway stations in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: Dehiwala (12.0 kms from Colombo-Fort), Mount Lavinia (14.2 kms) and Ratmalana (16.0 kms). Train transport in the city is limited since most trains are meant for transport to and from Colombo rather than within the city itself and are often overcrowded. Few express trains stop at Mount Lavinia Station. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is situated on the Coastal Line of Sri Lanka Railways, which runs from Colombo towards Matara.
The road network in Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia consists of three classes of roads. Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia lie along the Galle Road artery in the West of the city, which runs along the coast to the south of the country. It is the gateway to the Colombo Metro City from the Southern part of Sri Lanka.
Ratmalana Airport is the city's airport, located 15 km (9.3 mi) south of the Colombo city centre and 2 km from Dehiwala junction. It commenced operating in 1935 and was the country's first international airport until it was replaced by Bandaranaike Airport in 1967. Ratmalana Airport now primarily services domestic flights, aviation training and international corporate flights.
Other means of transport include the taxis. These cab services are run by private companies and are metered.
See also: Education in Sri Lanka.
Education institutions in Colombo have a long history. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia has many of the most prominent public schools in the country, some of them government-owned and others private. Certain urban schools of Sri Lanka have some religious alignment; this is partly due to the influence of the British, who established Christian missionary schools. Colombo has many International Schools that have come up in the recent years.
See