Maharagama
Maharagama is a town in Colombo District, Sri Lanka on the High-Level (A4) Road about 10 km from the centre of the commercial capital. It developed rapidly in the 1980s as a dormitory suburb. Governed by the Maharagama Urban Council, the town possesses facilities like supermarkets, department stores, clothing, food and beverages shops to fulfill the needs of citizens.
Maharagama මහරගම மகரகம | |
---|---|
town | |
Maharagama Location of Maharagama in Colombo District | |
Coordinates: 6°50′58″N 79°55′25″E | |
Country | Sri Lanka |
Province | Western Province |
District | Colombo District |
Government | |
• Urban Council | decide on next local government election |
Population (2012) | |
• Total | 195,355 |
Time zone | UTC+5:30 (SLT) |
Postal Code | 10280 [1] |
There are number of bus routes passing the area and starting from the suburb that connect Maharagama to all the suburbs. There's a depot of the Sri Lanka Transport Board in Maharagama.
Maharagama Urban Council
Zone [2]
- Mirihana
- Madivela
- Thalawathugoda
- Kottawa
- Pannipitiya
- Maharagama
- Godigamuwa
Demographics
According to the census of 2012, the demographics of Maharagama by religion and ethnicity is as follows.
2012 | Percentage | |
---|---|---|
Buddhist | 179,649 | 91.96% |
Roman Catholic | 6,582 | 3.37% |
Other Christian | 3,267 | 1.67% |
Hindu | 2,905 | 1.49% |
Islam | 2,765 | 1.42% |
Other | 187 | 0.10% |
Total | 195,355 | 100.00% |
Sinhalese | 187,363 | 95.90 |
Sri Lankan Tamils | 3,107 | 1.59 |
Sri Lankan Moors | 1,369 | 0.70 |
Burghers | 1,343 | 0.68 |
Sri Lankan Malays | 1,143 | 0.58 |
Indian Tamils | 529 | 0.27 |
Bharatha | 471 | 0.24 |
Sri Lankan Chetty | 82 | 0.04 |
Other | 16 | 0.00 |
Total | 195,355 | 100.00% |
Important places around Maharagama
- National Youth Services Council
- National Institute of Education (NIE), Sri Lanka
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)/Apeksha Hospital
- Sri Vajiragnana Dharmayatanaya (Bhikkhu Training Center)
- National Teachers' Training College
- National Ayurvedic Hospital
- Boralesgamuwa Lake
- University of Sri Jayewardenepura
- National Dental Institute
- Sri Jawardenapura National Hospital
- Arpico Super Center, Navinna
Schools in Maharagama
- President's College, Maharagama
- Vidyakara Balika Maha Vidyalaya
- Buwanekaba Maha Vidyalaya
- Central College-Maharagama
- Dharmashoka Kanista Vidyalaya
- Royal Institute International School
- JMC International School
Public transport
Railway
Trains starting from Colombo Fort stop at Maharagama Railway Station and nearby Nawinna Railway Station. The stations lie on the Kelani Valley Line, with local trains to Colombo Fort, Maradana, and Avissawella.
Maharagama Railway Station is in the Pamunuwa area.
Currently the Kelani Valley Line serves an increasingly urbanizing population between Colombo Fort and Maharagama. Though capacity increased through broad-gauging the line, services face limitations due to sharp curves and the illegal construction on the sides of the track between Colombo and Maharagama.
Bus routes
Maharagama, which is in the middle of few important areas, has bus routes that access to the suburb centre.
Bus routes heading via Maharagama to/from Colombo: (via High Level Rd, Nugegoda and Kirulapona)
- 138 - Kottawa / Homagama
- 138/2 - Mattegoda
- 138/3 - Rukmalgama
- 138/4 - Athurugiriya
- 122 - Avissawella / Ratnapura
- 125 - Padukka / Ingiriya
Local bus routes terminating at Maharagama:
- 138 - Colombo (Pettah)
- 112 - Kotahena
- 119 - Dehiwala (via Boralesgamuwa and Bellanwila)
- 119 - Nugegoda
- 993 - Malabe
- 122/1 - Avissawella (by Sri Lanka Transport Board - SLTB)
- 123 - Athurugiriya
- 124 - Ihalabope
- 128/1 - Moonamalewaththa
- 125/1 - Ingiriya/Padukka
- 129 - Moragahahena (by SLTB)
- 192 - Moratuwa
- 280 - Horana
- 341 - Piliyandala
- 341/1 - Katuwawala
- 341/2 - Bokundara
- 345 - Katuwawala (via Government Cancer Institute)
- 990 - Vidyala Junction (via Dambahena / Weera Mawatha)
- 990/1 - Dambahena
- 212 - Sri Jayewardenepure Hospital (Nawarohala)
- 991 - Sri Jayewardenepure Hospital (Nawarohala)
- 994 - Hokandara (via Polwatta)
- 996 - Katukurunda
- 212/341 - Bokundara (via Makuludoowa,Arawwala & Moraketiya)
Long-distance bus service via Maharagama to/from Colombo:
- 99 - Badulla / Welimada / Passara
- 122 - Ratnapura / Embilipitiya / Suriyawewa
- 57/16 - Anuradhapura
- 48/16 - Polonnaruwa
Long-distance bus service terminating at Maharagama operated by the SLTB:
Maps
External links
- http://www.nysc.lk/ National Youth Services Council
- https://web.archive.org/web/20120109212828/http://www.ncisl.lk/ National Cancer Institute
- https://web.archive.org/web/20111112135050/http://www.vajiragnana.lk/sasana_sin.html Siri Vajiragnana Dharmayathanaya
References
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-10-12. Retrieved 2016-02-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Ward Maps of Colombo District – Maharagama Urban Council" (PDF).
- "Department of Census and Statistics Sri Lanka - Population by ethnicity and district according to Divisional Secretary's Division, 2012".
- "Department of Census and Statistics Sri Lanka - Population by divisional secretariat division, religion and sex- 2012" (PDF).