Akurana
Town
Akurana Grand Mosque on top of the surrounding hills.
Akurana
Coordinates: 7°21′54″N 80°37′02″E / 7.36500°N 80.61722°E / 7.36500; 80.61722
Country	Sri Lanka
Province	Central Province
District	Kandy District
Divisional Secretariat	Akurana Divisional Secretariat
Akurana Pradeshiya Sabhawa	1980s
Government
• Type	Akurana Pradeshiya Sabha
• Chairman	I. M. Isthihar
Area
• Town	31.0 km2 (12.0 sq mi)
Population  (2012)
• Town	63,397
• Density	790/km2 (2,045/sq mi)
• Metro	63,397
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (SLST)
Postal code	20850
Area code	081
Official languages	Sinhala Tamil
Recognised languages	English

Akurana (Sinhala: අකුරණ, Tamil: அக்குரணை) is a suburb of the city of Kandy in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. The town is situated 125 km (78 mi) from Colombo and 10 km (6.2 mi) from the centre of Kandy, on the Kandy—Matale road. Akurana lies along the A9 highway from Kandy to Matale, north of Katugastota. Geographically the town is surrounded by hills and rivers. The Balapitiya Oya, a tributary of Pinga Oya river, runs through Akurana.^[1]

Akurana belongs to the Harispattuwa Electorate and was represented in Parliament by former Foreign Minister Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed for more than 33 years without interruption. Akurana area came under the local government authority of the Akurana Pradeshiya Sabhawa in the late 1980s and included the villages of Alawathugoda, Dunuwila, Pangollamada, Bulugohathenna, Waragashinna, Kurundugaha ela, Uggala, Kurugoda, Thelumbgahawaththa, Malgamandeniya and Dippitiya.

History

Local folklore has it that during the reign of a certain "Raja Sinha", three Arabs travelled inland to Kandy. The king allowed them to take three native wives, and the three Arabs settled Akurana. Their descendants would be the Sri Lankan Moors of Akurana.^[2]

Its inhabitants lived through trade and were comparatively rich. A small Islamic school operated in 1886.^[2]

Demographics

Akurana is a predominantly Muslim town, with a sizable Sinhalese minority and smaller Tamil and Burgher communities.

The majority of the local population speaks Tamil, as well as Sinhala. English is also a widely spoken language.

Climate

Akurana has a relatively cool climate due to its location in the central hills. Average daytime temperature is 25 °C (77 °F) and at night falls to 19 °C (66 °F). In December, temperatures drop to an average of 19 °C (66 °F), with heavy mist cover during dawn.

The Polgolla and Moragahakanda dams are believed to have some affects on weather patterns in Akurana. The lowlands are prone to regular flooding where the Haripotha or Ping Oya river flows along with the A9 Road, which joins with the Mahaweli River in Katugastota.

Education

There are two national schools in Akurana: Azhar College and Akurana Zahira College.^[4] Akurana Muslim Balika College is the only government-owned Muslim girls college in Akurana.

In addition to the above schools, there are several primary-feeding schools in the region, which include:

• Azhar Model Primary School
• Lukmaniya Maha Vidyalaya, Pangollamada
• Kurundugahaela Muslim Vidyalaya
• Thelumbugahawatte Muslim Vidyalaya
• Neerella Muslim Vidyalaya
• Kasawatte Muslim Vidyalaya
• Kurugoda Boys Muslim Vidyalaya

Healthcare

Zia Hospital is the only government hospital in Akurana, providing free healthcare to the public. It was opened by the Pakistani President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, during the presidency of J. R. Jayewardene.^[5]

Transport

Akurana is located on the A9 highway, making it an easily accessible town. The nearest railway station is in Katugastota, approximately 4.5 km (2.8 mi) away.

References