Kalutara Bridge : An Unspoken Heritage

Kalutara Bridge  Kalutara Bridge  Kalutara Bridge

Sri Lanka, also known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean is adorned with the beautiful mother nature and claims a proud history going back as far as 500 BC. Colonialism plays a significant role in the country’s olden times.

It was under the influence of Portuguese, Dutch and the British in their respective eras. Several historic sites in Sri Lanka originated during these periods and still remains as evidence of these influences. The Kalutara Bridge is such significant landmark inherited as a result of the Colonial period.

Kalutara bridge is the connecting line between the western and southern borders of the country. J. R. Mosse, Director of the PWD (Public works department) is the pioneer in designing and building the bridge and it was the largest bridge on the island built during the early 1900s. It was considered the first concrete bridge in Sri Lanka as well.

The old bridge comprised of two separate bridges, each with 6 spans of lattice girders where a single girder was an enormous 100ft long.

It is separated by a ridge in the middle of the river (Kalu Ganga) and it was opened for road traffic in August 1877 along with a single line of rails in the middle. It was 450ft in length. Currently, There are twin bridges for railway and one for the road traffic. And it is a perfect place to watch the sunset.

History

Being one of the largest bridges in Sri Lanka, the origins of the Kalutara Bridge date back to the early 1990s. Initially, the bridge had two separate bridges, each including 6 spans of lattice girders. Both the bridges were separated by a ridge which was in the middle of the ‘Kalu Ganga’. It was first opened for road traffic in 1877.

Significance

The bridge is a significant landmark in Kalutara due to its link between the southern border and western border of the country. When travelling from the western end of the bridge towards the southern end, you will witness the majestic view of the 3 stories-high Kalutara Viharaya. Any Buddhist will not forget to offer a small sacrifice when passing the temple.

Location

You will find plenty of attractions in the vicinity of the bridge. The Kalutara Bodhiya, Richmond Castle and Kalutara Viharaya are some such places. If you are staying at one of the many hotels in Kalutara close to the bridge, like Turyaa Kalutara, you can also visit many other attractions in the vicinity.

Did you know?

Locals say on very clear mornings one can see Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) Mountain from the bridge. Which is, in turn, the starting point of Kalu River. That would make Kalu River the only river in Sri Lanka of which starting point and ending point can be seen at the same time.

Kalutara Bridge  

Kalutara Bölgesi Hakkında

Kalutara, Kolombo'nun yaklaşık 42 km güneyinde yer almaktadır. Bir zamanlar baharat ticaret merkezi olan Kalutara, Portekizliler, Hollandalılar ve İngilizler tarafından çeşitli zamanlarda kontrol edilmiştir. Kasaba, kaliteli bambu sepet ve hasırları ve en lezzetli mangostenleriyle ünlüdür.

38 metre uzunluğundaki Kalutara Köprüsü, Kalu Ganga Nehri'nin ağzına inşa edilmiş olup ülkenin Batı ve Güney sınırları arasında önemli bir bağlantı görevi görmektedir. Köprünün güney ucunda, 1960'larda inşa edilmiş, dünyanın içi boş tek stupası olma özelliğini taşıyan 3 katlı bir Budist tapınağı olan Kalutara Vihara yer almaktadır.

Batı Bölgesi Hakkında

Batı Eyaleti, Sri Lanka'nın en yoğun nüfuslu eyaletidir. Yasama başkenti Sri Jayawardenapura'nın yanı sıra ülkenin idari ve iş merkezi olan Colombo'ya da ev sahipliği yapar. Batı Eyaleti, Colombo (642 km²), Gampaha (1.386,6 km²) ve Kalutara (1.606 km²) olmak üzere 3 ana bölgeye ayrılmıştır. Sri Lanka'nın ekonomik merkezi olarak, tüm büyük yerel ve uluslararası şirketlerin yanı sıra tüm büyük tasarımcı ve ana cadde perakendecileri de şehirde bulunmaktadır, bu nedenle batı eyaletinde biraz alışveriş terapisine hazır olun.

Tüm eyaletler arasında en yüksek nüfusa sahip olan adadaki neredeyse tüm önde gelen eğitim kurumları batı eyaletinde bulunmaktadır. Eyaletteki üniversiteler arasında Kolombo Üniversitesi, Sri Jayewardenepura Üniversitesi, Kelaniya Üniversitesi, Sri Lanka Açık Üniversitesi, Sri Lanka Budist ve Pali Üniversitesi, General Sir John Kotelawala Savunma Üniversitesi ve Moratuwa Üniversitesi bulunmaktadır. Batı eyaleti, ulusal, il, özel ve uluslararası okulları içeren ülkedeki en fazla okula sahiptir.

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