Balangoda

Balangoda
බළන්ගොඩ
பலாங்கொடை
Town
Balangoda is located in Sri Lanka
Balangoda
Balangoda
Location in Sri Lanka
Coordinates: 6°39′N 80°41′E / 6.650°N 80.683°E / 6.650; 80.683
CountrySri Lanka
ProvinceSabaragamuwa
DistrictRatnapura
Area
 • Total
16.2 km2 (6.3 sq mi)
Population
 (2024)
 • Total
74,893
 • Density4,620/km2 (12,000/sq mi)
Time zone+5.30

Balangoda is a town in Ratnapura District, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. The town is associated with Balangoda Man, a prehistoric Hominini population from the late Quaternary period identified through archaeological evidence from the region. According to the 2024 census, the town had a population of 74,893.

History

Balangoda is associated with Balangoda Man, a prehistoric Hominini population from the late Quaternary period identified through skeletal remains and tools from several cave sites in the region. Archaeological evidence has indicated the presence of anatomically modern humans from approximately 34,000 BP, who were mostly hunter-gatherers. The region seems to have been continually occupied since then, and the skeletal features suggest a biological continuity with the modern population in Sri Lanka.

Kaltota near Balangoda was a major urban center in the Sabaragamuwa region since the second century BCE. Archeological finds have unearthed remnants of old furnaces used for smelting of iron ore, which was used to produce steel for making swords.: 11–12  Balangonda remained a major urban center till the fifteenth century CE, after which the population declined.: 24 

During the British colonial era, it was covered with vegetation and was sparsely populated. The British established tea estates in the region, and the local population was involved in rice cultivation and collection of forest produce.: 24  The Balangoda Urban Council was established in 1939 with Barnes Ratwatte as its first chairman. The town is also the birthplace of the Buddhist monk Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero, and Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the first female Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

Geography

Balangoda is situated in Ratnapura District, in the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. The town lies on the northern boundary of the Walawe River basin.: 24  The municipality covers an area of approximately 16.2 km2 (6.3 sq mi).

Demographics

According to the 2024 census, Balangoda had a population of 74,893, comprising 36,403 males and 38,490 females. Sinhalese (74.4%) formed the majority with Sri Lankan Tamils (13.4%), Sri Lankan Moors (8.9%) and Indian Tamils (3.1%) contributing the remaining population. Buddhism is the major religion with 73.4% of the population adhering to it, followed by Hinduism (14.6%) and Islam (9%).

Education

St. Agnes Balika Maha Vidyalaya, a primary and secondary girls' school, was established in 1930.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Deraniyagala, Siran U. (1996). "Pre- and Protohistoric settlement in Sri Lanka". Congress of the International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences. 5 (16): 277–285. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2026.
  2. ↑ Kennedy, Kenneth A. R. (2000). God-Apes and Fossil Men: Paleoanthropology of South Asia. University of Michigan Press. pp. 180–181.
  3. ↑ "Early presence of humans in Sri Lanka and continuum of their existence towards Holocene". National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Anicut systems in Sri Lanka: The case of the Upper Walawe River Basin (PDF) (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
  5. ↑ "About us". Balangoda Urban Council. Archived from the original on 6 June 2026. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
  6. ↑ Fernando, Thilak (24 September 1994). "Face to face with late Ven. Aggamaha Panditha Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero". The Island - Saturday Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  7. ↑ "Sirimavo R.D. Bandaranaike". Britannica. Archived from the original on 26 April 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  8. ↑ "Sirimavo Bandaranaike: First woman premier". BBC News. 10 October 2000. Archived from the original on 2 December 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  9. ↑ "Balangoda Urban Council". Balangoda Urban Council. Archived from the original on 6 June 2026. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Balangoda". City Population. Archived from the original on 27 March 2025. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
  11. ↑ "About school". St. Agnes Balika Maha Vidyalaya. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012.