Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte , commonly known as Kotte (/'ko?te?

/), is the official,

administrative capital of Sri Lanka.[2] Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is a satellite
city and within the urban area of Sri Lanka's de-facto economic and legislative
capital, Colombo. Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte Municipal Council area is bounded in

the North by Kolonnawa Urban Council area,

the North-East by the Kotikawatta�Mulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha area,
the East by the Kaduwela Municipal Council area,
the South-East by the Maharagama Urban Council area,
the South-West by the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council and
the West by the Colombo Municipal Council area, which is the commercial capital of
Sri Lanka.

History

Map of Kotte (1557-1565)

The village of Darugama lay at the confluence of two streams, the Diyawanna Oya and
the Kolonnawa Oya. As Darugama was a naturally secure place, it was not easy for
enemies to enter it. Here, in the 13th century, a chieftain named Nissanka
Alagakkonara built a Kotte (meaning fortress)

Alagakkonara is mentioned by Ibn Batuta as ruling in Kurunegala, but other sources

indicate that he was the Bandara (Guardian) of Raigama Korale (county) in the
modern Kalutara District. Arya Chakravarthy's army was held by Alagakkonara in
front of Kotte, while he defeated the enemy's invasion fleet at Panadura to the
south-west.[3]

Kotte was a jala durgha (water fortress), in the shape of a triangle, with the
Diyawanna Oya and Kolonnawa Oya marshes forming two long sides; along the shorter
third (land) side a large moat (the 'inner moat') was dug. The fortress was nearly
2.5 km2 (0.97 sq mi) in area, fortified with ramparts of kabook or laterite rock,
2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) high and 10.7 metres (35 ft) in breadth.[4]

In 1391, following the conquest of the Jaffna Kingdom by Prince Sapumal (Sembahap
Perumal), Kotte was given the epithet 'Sri Jayawardhanapura' ('resplendent city of
growing victory'). It became the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Kotte, which it
remained until the end of the 16th century.

From the ramparts to the magnificent three storied buildings that housed the Kings
Palace, Laterite and clay were the main raw material used in its construction. One
of the places from which the laterite blocks were mined can be seen even today
inside the premises of Ananda Sasthralaya (a local school).

The main features of the capital city were [4]-

The King's palace, with walls of quartz that sparkle in the moonlight (candrakanta
pasana) and a golden spire, with beautiful flower gardens and springs of water.[5]
The three-storeyed Dalada Maligawa with Buddha's sacred tooth relic in it (Temple
of the tooth)
The five-storeyed "Arama" where sixty Buddhist Bhikkus resided, with a Sangha
Raja(a high priest)as the chief incumbent.
The King's Treasure House
The 'Kotavehara' at Baddagana, the only Buddhist temple of the city outside the
moat and rampart.
The Royal cemetery at Beddagana (Veherakanda memorial)
The 'Angampitiya', the military parade and training ground just inside the inner
moat.
The Portuguese arrived on the island in 1505 and were initially welcomed by the
king. But they had militaristic and monopolistic intentions and gained control of
the city by 1565. Failing to withstand repeated assaults by the forces of the
neighbouring kingdom of Sitawaka, the city was abandoned by the Portuguese, who
made Colombo their new capital.[6]

Like similar cities of that era, Sri Jayawardhanapura was built with security in
mind. A rampart and moat protected the entire city. Traces of this moat and rampart
are still visible today at certain places. Along parts of the rampart, encroachers
have now built houses, garages and even toilets.

The urbanisation of Kotte restarted in the 19th century. The archaeological remains
were torn up and used as building materials (a process that continues) � some of it
even ending up in the Victoria Bridge, across the Kelani River.

Legislature
The New Parliament was inaugurated on 29 April 1982. The buildings were built on
reclaimed land, after a massive lake was formed by dredging the marshlands around
the Diyawanna Oya. The new parliamentary buildings were built on Duwa, a 50,000
square metre (12 acre) island in the centre of the lake. The island (off Baddegana
Road, Pita Kotte) had been used as a recreation and brawling spot for Portuguese
soldiers in the last days of the Kotte era, alcohol being banned from the Royal
City. It had belonged to E. W. Perera and had housed a chicken farm prior to being
vested in the state. On 29 April 1982, the new parliamentary complex was declared
open by the former president J. R. Jayewardene.

The process of relocating government institutions from the former capital of

Colombo is still in progress.

Municipal structure [7]

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is located at the south east of Colombo.

The Kotte Urban Development Council was created in the 1930s, with a modern
building at Rajagiriya. It was succeeded by the Kotte Urban Council, which had a
large section of its area removed and tagged onto the Colombo Municipal Council
ward of Borella while the Battaramulla urban council was dissolved and a small
section of Battaramulla tagged onto the Kotte Urban Council. The Kotte Urban
Council became the Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Municipal Council in 1997, with
Chandra Silva as the first Mayor.

There are 20 Members of the Municipal Council (MMCs), elected on proportional

representation. There are 18 wards, but these are now merely polling divisions,
without individual representation.

Zones
Pita Kotte
Ethul Kotte
Nawala
Nugegoda
Rajagiriya