Negombo
Negombo, also known as Punchi Romaya and Meepura, is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in the Western Province, from Colombo via the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway and the nearest major city from the Bandaranaike International Airport.
Negombo is one of the major commercial hubs in the country and the administrative centre of Negombo Division. Negombo has a population of about 142,136 within its divisional secretariat division. Negombo municipal boundary is fully extended throughout its Divisional Secretariat area.
Negombo is known for its long sandy beaches and centuries old fishing industry. Negombo has a large bilingual population with a clear Roman Catholic majority.
Etymology
The name "Negombo" is the Portuguese corruption of its Tamil name Neerkolombu.The Sinhala name Migamuva comes from a legend mentioned in Rajaveliya. The army of King Kavantissa found bee honey in a canoe near the seashore, for Viharamahadevi who was pregnant with the prince Dutugamunu. Because of this, the place was named "Mee-Gomuwa".
History
The shallow waters of the Negombo Lagoon provided safe shelter for seafaring vessels and became one of the key ports along with Kalpitiya, Puttalam, Colombo, Kalutara and Galle, from which the Sri Lankan kingdoms conducted external trade.Pre-colonialism
The region was under the rule of the Sinhala monarchy based on Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte. The language used in the area was a regional dialect of Sinhala when the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century.Negombo also served as a shelter for Arab vessels, whose descendants are the Sri Lankan Moors. Negombo was a major port known for its trading activity and was well known for its cinnamon cultivation. The cinnamon trade was controlled by the Sri Lankan kings and later by the Sri Lankan Moors.
Portuguese Ceylon
Landing in the early 1500s, the Portuguese overthrew the Sinhala monarchy who were forced to relocate to Seethawaka. The Portuguese constructed a fort in Negombo and took over the trade of cinnamon to the west. During the Portuguese occupation, the Karava, who were previously Buddhist and Hindu were converted into Catholicism. Due to the sheer amount of conversions to Catholicism, present-day Negombo is sometimes known as 'Little Rome' due to nearly two thirds of its population being Catholic.The Portuguese restructured the traditional production and management of cinnamon and maintained their control over the trade for more than a century. The decline of their power began in the 1630s when warfare between the Portuguese and the Kingdom of Kandy reached a stalemate. The King of Kandy turned to the Dutch for help.
Dutch Ceylon
The Dutch captured Negombo from the Portuguese in 1646 and negotiated an armistice with Portugal for ten years. During this period, the King of Kandy sought to provoke conflict between the nations by passing through the territories of the one to attack the other. On one occasion, he captured the fort of Negombo and sent the head of the Dutch commander, Adrian Vander Stell, to his countrymen in Galle. Although the Dutch managed to regain control of Negombo from the King by diplomatic means, hostilities continued. In particular, the disruption of the cinnamon trade was a favourite method of the King to harass the Dutch.Throughout the eighteenth century, the demand for cinnamon from Ceylon outstripped the supply, and its quality appeared to have suffered. Other factors, including the continued hostility from the Kandyan Kingdom and a rival cinnamon exporter in the form of China, led to a 40% decline in the volume of cinnamon exported between 1785 and 1791, despite attempts to clear land around Negombo and create cinnamon plantations.
The legacy of the Dutch colonial era can be seen in the Negombo fort, constructed in 1672, and other Dutch buildings, including churches and the extensive canal system that runs from Colombo in the south, through Negombo to Puttalam in the north.
British Ceylon
By the time the British commander Colonel Stuart took over the cinnamon trade in 1796, it was clear that the industry was in decline. Poor policies put in place by Frederick North the first Governor of British Ceylon exacerbated the problem. By the 1830s, commercial interest had moved elsewhere.Following the British takeover of the Kingdom of Kandy in 1815, Negombo lost its strategic value as an outpost of Colombo. However, it continued to develop in commercial influence. The Negombo fishery was at the heart of the seafood trade in Ceylon, and many migrant fisherman arrived annually with the profits of their ventures going into the small, prosperous town. In 1907 Negombo was connected to the massive railway project that was linking the island together under British control and encouraging the growth of plantations in coconuts, tea and coffee.
Geography
Negombo is about above sea level, and Negombo's geography is a mix of land and water. The Hamilton Canal flows in the heart of the city. The Negombo Lagoon is one of the most scenic landmarks of Negombo. There are over 190 species of wildlife and plenty of birds in its mangroves. The northern border of the city is formed by the Maha Oya river which meets the Indian Ocean.Climate
Negombo features a tropical rainforest climate under the Köppen climate classification. The city receives rainfall mainly from the Southwestern monsoons from May to August and October to January. During the remaining months there is a little precipitation due to Convective rains. The average annual precipitation is about. The average temperature varies to, and there are high humidity levels from February to April.Zones
- Athgala
- Basiyawatte
- Bolawalana
- Dalupotha
- Daluwakotuwa
- Dungalpitiya
- Duwa
- Duwane
- Ethukala
- Kadolkale
- Kamachchodai
- Kandawala
- Kapumgoda
- Kattuwa
- Katunayake
- Katuwapitiya
- Kimbulapitiya
- Kochchikade
- Kurana
- Kudapadu
- Mahahunupitiya, also known as Maha Hunupitiya, a predominantly Catholic neighborhood
- Munnakkarai
- Muruthena
- Nugawala
- Palangathura
- Pallansena
- Periyamulla
- Pitipana
- Poruthota
- Raheemanabad
- Sarakkuwa
- Sellakanda
- Thillanduwa
- Thaladuwa
- Thalahena
- Udyar Thoppu
- Wella veediya
- Welihena
- Kadirana
- Akkarapanaha
- Thimbirigaskatuwa
- Katana
Neighbourhoods
- Depot Junction
- Dheen Junction
- Galkanda Junction
- Koppara Junction
- Light Mill Junction
- Pankada Junction
- Periyamulla Junction
- Taladuwa Junction
- Telwatta Junction
- Temple Junction
Negombo Lagoon
The fishermen who are based at the Negombo lagoon live in shanty thatch palm villages along the water's edge. They rely mainly on their traditional knowledge of the seasons for their livelihood, using outrigger canoes carved out of tree trunks and nylon nets to bring in modest catches from September through April. Their boats are made in two forms – oruvas and paruvas. In recent years, the villagers have supplemented the income earned from fishing by collecting 'toddy', or palm sap, which is used to brew arrack.
Demographics
According by the statistics of 2011, 6.3% of the population of Gampaha district live in Negombo city limits and 11.6% of the population of the district live in Negombo Metropolis. It is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural city. Most of Negombo's residents belong to the Sinhalese majority. There are Tamil and Muslim people also living in the city as well as a long established Chinese community.| 2012 Population | Percentage | |
| Roman Catholic | 92,527 | 65.31% |
| Islam | 20,308 | 14.33% |
| Buddhist | 15,681 | 11.07% |
| Hindu | 8,290 | 5.85% |
| Other Christian | 4,740 | 3.35% |
| Other | 130 | 0.09% |
| Total | 141,676 | 100.00% |
| 2012 Population | Percentage | |
| Sinhalese | 107,155 | 75.63% |
| Sri Lankan Moor | 19,364 | 13.67% |
| Sri Lankan Tamil | 12,590 | 8.89% |
| Indian Tamil | 904 | 0.64% |
| Other | 599 | 0.42% |
| Burgher | 414 | 0.29% |
| Baratha | 281 | 0.20% |
| Malay | 278 | 0.20% |
| Sri Lankan Chetty | 91 | 0.06% |
| Total | 141,676 | 100.00% |
Religion
Negombo is a multi-religious city. Since the beginning of European colonisation, the township of Negombo has had a majority of Roman Catholics along with Muslims, Buddhist and Hindus. Before European invasions it was a Buddhist majority region.Catholic and Christian churches
Negombo has been given the name "Little Rome" owing to the highly ornate Portuguese-era Roman Catholic churches such as St. Mary's Church found in the township and because of the majority of inhabitants being Roman Catholics. St. Sebastian's Church, Katuwapitiya; Saint Stephen's Church, Negombo, Grand Street; St. Mary's Church, Negombo; St. Anne's Churches at Kurana and Palangatura; St. Anthony's Church Dalupothal; and Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Kandawala, are the biggest parishes in Negombo. There are over 25 Roman Catholic churches in the city.There is a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Negombo. The church building is just west of the intersection of Ave Maria Street and Old Chilaw Street. There are also Methodist churches, Baptist churches, and the other Anglican churches in Negombo.