Kotmale

Kotmale
කොත්මලේ
கொத்மலை
Village
Map
CountrySri Lanka
ProvinceCentral Province
DistrictNuwara Eliya District
Area
 • Total225 km2 (87 sq mi)
Population
107,523[1]
 • Density478/km2 (1,240/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time)

Kotmale (Sinhala: කොත්මලේ, romanized: Kotmalē; Tamil: கொத்மலை, romanized: Kotmalai) is a village in Sri Lanka in Central Province. Kotmale forms part of a mountainous region that the Sinhalese kings left forested to generate sufficient rainfall for rice cultivation in the valleys below.

The Sinhalese prince Dutugamunu is said to have taken refuge in Kotmale to escape the wrath of his father, King Kavantissa. Kotmale is also where the Kandyan Kings hid the sacred tooth relic during periods of political instability, the last occasion being during the British occupation in 1815.[2]

  1. ^ "Population and Population Density by D.S. Division" (PDF). Department of Census and Statistics -Sri Lanka. 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  2. ^ Ellis, Royston (2005). Sri Lanka: The Bradt Travel Guide. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 148. ISBN 9781841621296.