Moratuwa is a city on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, near Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia. It is situated on the Galle–Colombo main highway, 18 km south of the capital, Colombo. Moratuwa is surrounded on three sides by water, except in the north of the city, by the Indian Ocean on the west and the Bolgoda lake on the east. According to the 2001 census, the city had a population of 177,190.
Moratuwa is derived from "Mura Atuwa" meaning "Sentry Turret" in Sinhalese. Queen Leelawathie (1208-1210 AD) appointed a military commander Lak Vijaya Singukith Senevi, and placed him in charge of 100,000 soldiers at Moratuwa. He was called 'Lakshadipaty' (meaning "governor of one lakh") and the area he was based is known as 'Lakshapathiya' to this day.
Moratuwa is also the proud birthplace of Veera Puran Appu who rose against oppression by the British in Kandy.
The following depicts a close up of Moratuwa city.
When considered the municipal structure of Moratuwa, It consists of 21 main areas: Angulana, Borupana, Dahampura, Egoda Uyana, Idama, Indibedda, Kadalana, Kaduwamulla, Kaldemulla, Katubedda, Katukurunda, Koralawella, Lakshapathiya, Molpe, Moratumulla, Rawathawatta, Soysapura, Thelawala, Uswatta, Uyana and Villorawatta.
Industries in Moratuwa include the manufacture of furniture, rubber products, batteries, transformers, and wood handicrafts. The city is also a fishing and trading center. Out of these Moratuwa is most well known for its furniture.
The University of Moratuwa, a leading technological university in South Asia is situated in Moratuwa. Popular high schools in the area include St. Sebastian's' College, Prince of Wales' College, Princess of Wales College, Moratu Maha Vidyalaya and Our Lady of Victories Convent.
Cricket is the most popular sport in Moratuwa. Moratuwa is popular for its cricket stars such as Duleep Mendis, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Prasanna Jayawardene, Lahiru Thirimanne and Ajantha Mendis. An international cricket stadium, De Soysa Stadium is situated in Moratuwa where the 50th Test Match of Sri Lankan Cricket was played at this venue. Right now it is under construction and no international matches are being played due to that reason.
Tourism is nominal but more visitors have come recently due to the increasing popularity of the Bolgoda Lake in Moratuwa. Many hotels and guesthouses have opened by the waterfront. The once famous Moratuwa Beach is no longer present due to sea erosion. The coastal areas of Moratuwa received some damages during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
The following table displays the demographic details of Moratuwa.
| Ethnicity | Population | % Of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sinhalese | 168,324 | 95.00 |
| Sri Lankan Tamils | 4,433 | 2.50 |
| Indian Tamils | 375 | 0.21 |
| Sri Lankan Moors | 2,452 | 1.38 |
| Other (including Burgher, Malay) | 1,606 | 0.91 |
| Total | 177,190 | 100 |
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