Kurunegala is named after Elephant Rock

Kurune means tusker or an elephant with protruding teeth and Gala in Sinhala means rock. Kurunegala's old name was Hasthishailya-pura, which can be translated as 'The city of the Elephant rock'.

In some ancient literature the word Athugal-pura is also used to describe the city of Kurunegala. Nearby are three archaeological cities such as Parakramapura (Panduvasnuwara) (north-west) with ruins of a moated palace and monasteries from the 12th century, (Dambadeniya) (south - west, mid-13th century) and Yapahuwa (north).

It enjoys a pleasant location overlooked by huge rocky outcrops some of which have been given names of the animals they resemble such as Elephant rock and Tortoise rock. According to folklore, a long time ago the city experienced a severe drought.

To exacerbate matters for humans, animals had threatened the city's storage capabilities by consuming huge amounts of water. Fortunately for the people, a witch had volunteered to alleviate the problem, transforming some of the animals magically into stone figures. This is how the stony outcrops in Kurunegala derived their names.

Geography and the climate

Topographically, Kurunegala town is based on a plain area with the exception of the surrounding rock outcrops. The northern part of the town is slightly higher than the south. The Kurunegala Lake adorns the town. The Kurunegala area is located well above sea level compared to the Sri Lankan coastal areas.

However, the area is not as high as the central hill country of the island. The nearest beaches to Kurunegala are to the western coastal areas and include Meegamuwa (Negombo)and Halawatha (Chilaw).

Climate

Kurunegala's climate is fairly temperate and tropical all throughout the year. However, during April the temperature can rise up to about 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). The only major change in the Kurunegala weather occurs during the monsoons from May to August and October to January.

This is the time when heavy rains can be expected. In general, temperatures experienced during late November to mid February are lower than the rest of the year.

Kurunegala had a citadel in the 13th century. Kurunegala was the capital for half a century, starting with the reign of King Buvanekabahu II (1293-1302) who was followed by King Parakramabahu IV (1302-1326).

Some ruins of the Palace of the Tooth Relic that housed the tooth of the Buddha can be seen today. The present Palace of the Tooth relic is situated in Senkadagala/Mahanuwara.

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