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  

Acerca del distrito de Kalutara

Kalutara se encuentra a unos 42 km al sur de Colombo. Antiguamente un puesto de comercio de especias, Kalutara estuvo bajo el control de portugueses, holandeses y británicos. La ciudad es famosa por sus cestas y esteras de bambú de calidad y sus exquisitos mangostanes.

El puente Kalutara, de 38 metros de largo, se construyó en la desembocadura del río Kalu Ganga y sirve como un importante enlace entre la frontera occidental y la meridional del país. En el extremo sur del puente se encuentra el Kalutara Vihara, un templo budista de 3 pisos de altura construido en la década de 1960 que tiene la distinción de ser la única estupa hueca del mundo.

Acerca de la Provincia Occidental

La Provincia Occidental es la provincia más densamente poblada de Sri Lanka. Es el hogar de la capital legislativa Sri Jayawardenapura, así como de Colombo, el centro administrativo y comercial de la nación. La Provincia Occidental está dividida en 3 distritos principales llamados distritos de Colombo (642 km²), Gampaha (1.386,6 km²) y Kalutara (1.606 km²). Como centro económico de Sri Lanka, todas las principales corporaciones locales e internacionales tienen presencia en la ciudad, al igual que los principales diseñadores y minoristas de la calle principal, así que prepárese para disfrutar de una terapia de compras en la provincia occidental.

Al tener la mayor población de todas las provincias, casi todas las instituciones educativas de primer nivel de la isla se encuentran en la provincia occidental. Las universidades de la provincia incluyen la Universidad de Colombo, la Universidad de Sri Jayewardenepura, la Universidad de Kelaniya, la Universidad Abierta de Sri Lanka, la Universidad Budista y Pali de Sri Lanka, la Universidad de Defensa General Sir John Kotelawala y la Universidad de Moratuwa. La provincia occidental tiene la mayor cantidad de escuelas del país, que incluye escuelas nacionales, provinciales, privadas e internacionales.

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