Gandara (Sinhala: ගන්දර, Tamil: கந்தறை) is a village in the Matara District on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, 168 kilometres (104 mi) from Colombo. It is an important village in Matara.[1] It was slightly affected by the Asian tsunami in December 2004.
Gandara
ගන්දර கந்தறை | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Gandara | |
| Coordinates: 5°57′N 80°33′E / 5.950°N 80.550°E | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Southern |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Upul Nishantha |
| Area | |
| • Total | 283 km2 (109 sq mi) |
| • Land | 270 km2 (100 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2 m (7 ft) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 12,254 |
| • Density | 43/km2 (110/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone) |
| Postal code | 81170 |
| Area codes | 041 |
History edit
Historically, Gandara belongs to the area called Ruhuna, one of the three kingdoms in Sri Lanka (Thun Sinhalaya). The temple in the village was built by ancient kings and now is a popular sacred place among Buddhists in the area. The mosque in the village was built by villagers in the late 1840s.
Polling division edit
Education edit
Schools edit
- Gandara Maha Vidyalaya
- Gandara kanitu Viduhala
- Al Azhar Muslim Kanista Vidyalaya, established in 1938.
Places of Worship edit
- Purana Viharaya, Gandara
- Wijerathnaramaya Temple, Gandara
- Abayasekararamaya Temple, Gandara
- Sri Jayabodhi Viharaya, Gandara
- Muhiyaddeen Jumma Mosque
Transport edit
Gandara is on the Matara – Kataragama main road, which is served by the A32 highway.