natural wonder
Adam's Peak (Sri Pada)
A 2,243 m conical peak sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike, climbed overnight by pilgrims up thousands of steps to reach the summit footprint shrine at dawn.
47 km · about 55 min drive
Western Province, Sri Lanka · Asia
Hanwella Ihala sits on the route: 10 minutes from Mawalgama, 47km from Adam's Peak (Sri Pada).
Hanwella Ihala is a town located in Western Province, Sri Lanka. With a population of 22,918, it is an important destination in Asia.
On a road trip, Hanwella Ihala sits in Sri Lanka. It's in the Asia/Colombo time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Hanwella Ihala to your route.
Hanwella fort (Sinhala: හංවැල්ල බලකොටුව Hanwælla Balakotuwa; Tamil: ஹன்வெல்லைக் கோட்டை, romanized: Haṉvellaik Kōṭṭai) was located in Hanwella, Colombo, on the banks of the Kelani River. Hanwella, which means 'skin sands', was the site of an ancient ferry route across the river. Malwana fort was situated about 15 kmRead more
(9.3 mi) on the other side of the Kelani River.
It is thought that the fort was originally constructed by King Mayadunne of Sitawaka, to protect the ferry crossing. The Portuguese occupied the fort and under the command of Don Jerónimo de Azevedo rebuilt it in their own style, mostly consisting of earth ramparts, in 1597. It was captured by the Dutch, who constructed a star-shaped fort using kabook (a local laterite rock), completing the work in 1684. In 1761 Kirti Sri Raja Singha, the second Nayaka king of Kandy, captured the fort and the surrounding district, massacring the garrison at the fort. The Dutch recaptured the fort in the following year.
In 1786, the fort fell under the control of the British. In 1797, shortly after the British occupied the lowlands, a rebellion broke out and sepoys of the 35th Madras Regiment were besieged within the walls of the Hanwella fort and took casualties. In 1803 during the first British-Kandyan War, Kandyan forces, under Pilima Talauva, attacked the fort which was commanded by Lieutenant Charles Mercer on 3 September. The British managed to hold off the Kandyans until reinforcements arrived under the command of Captain William Pollard on 6 September.
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Hanwella Ihala is located in Western Province, Sri Lanka, Asia. The coordinates are 6.9012 latitude, 80.0852 longitude.
Hanwella Ihala has a population of approximately 22,918 people, making it a town in Sri Lanka.
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2 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
A 2,243 m conical peak sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike, climbed overnight by pilgrims up thousands of steps to reach the summit footprint shrine at dawn.
47 km · about 55 min drive
photogenic
A vertigo-inducing spiral tower on a hilltop near Gampola whose staircase narrows to shoulder width and ends with no handrail, giving a 360-degree view over the central highlands.
59 km · about 70 min drive
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
Other places to explore near Hanwella Ihala.
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