Badulla

File:SL Badulla asv2020-01 img03 Badulu Oya.jpg

Badulla is located in the southeast of Kandy, almost encircled by the Badulu Oya River, about {{convert|680|m|abbr=on}} above sea level and is surrounded by tea plantations. The city is overshadowed by the Namunukula range of mountains (highest peak {{convert|2,016|m|abbr=on}} above sea level). It was a base of a pre-colonial Sinhalese local prince (regional king) who ruled the area under the main King in Kandy before it became part of the British Empire. Later, it became one of the provincial administrative hubs of the British rulers. The city was the terminus of upcountry railway line built by the British in order to take mainly tea plantation products to Colombo.

Badulla has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen: Am){{Cite journal |date=23 October 2023 |title=Table 1 Overview of the Köppen-Geiger climate classes including the defining criteria. |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-023-02549-6/tables/1 |journal=Nature: Scientific Data |language=en}} characterized by mild temperatures (18°C-26°C) and a significant amount of rainfall. Badulla has a wet season from October to January, and has cooler temperatures in December to February compared to the rest of the year.

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| collapsed = yes

| metric first = yes

| single line = yes

| location = Badulla, elevation {{convert|670|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020)

| Jan record high C = 31.2

| Feb record high C = 32.8

| Mar record high C = 34.8

| Apr record high C = 36.2

| May record high C = 35.2

| Jun record high C = 35.1

| Jul record high C = 35.3

| Aug record high C = 35.5

| Sep record high C = 36.0

| Oct record high C = 35.2

| Nov record high C = 31.7

| Dec record high C = 30.5

| year record high C =

| Jan high C = 25.5

| Feb high C = 27.2

| Mar high C = 29.7

| Apr high C = 30.6

| May high C = 31.1

| Jun high C = 31.1

| Jul high C = 31.1

| Aug high C = 31.2

| Sep high C = 30.7

| Oct high C = 29.2

| Nov high C = 27.2

| Dec high C = 25.6

| year high C = 29.2

| Jan mean C = 21.6

| Feb mean C = 22.3

| Mar mean C = 23.7

| Apr mean C = 24.9

| May mean C = 25.4

| Jun mean C = 25.2

| Jul mean C = 25.0

| Aug mean C = 25.0

| Sep mean C = 24.7

| Oct mean C = 24.1

| Nov mean C = 23.1

| Dec mean C = 22.1

| year mean C = 23.9

| Jan low C = 17.7

| Feb low C = 17.5

| Mar low C = 17.7

| Apr low C = 19.3

| May low C = 19.6

| Jun low C = 19.2

| Jul low C = 18.9

| Aug low C = 18.7

| Sep low C = 18.7

| Oct low C = 18.9

| Nov low C = 19.1

| Dec low C = 18.6

| year low C = 18.7

| Jan record low C = 10.4

| Feb record low C = 8.0

| Mar record low C = 9.7

| Apr record low C = 13.2

| May record low C = 12.6

| Jun record low C = 15.1

| Jul record low C = 15.2

| Aug record low C = 14.4

| Sep record low C = 14.4

| Oct record low C = 12.7

| Nov record low C = 13.7

| Dec record low C = 10.8

| year record low C =

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 183.6

| Feb precipitation mm = 102.3

| Mar precipitation mm = 87.6

| Apr precipitation mm = 183.5

| May precipitation mm = 120.0

| Jun precipitation mm = 51.6

| Jul precipitation mm = 54.0

| Aug precipitation mm = 72.2

| Sep precipitation mm = 106.7

| Oct precipitation mm = 242.1

| Nov precipitation mm = 285.7

| Dec precipitation mm = 269.9

| year precipitation mm = 1759.1

| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 11.7

| Feb precipitation days = 8.1

| Mar precipitation days = 7.2

| Apr precipitation days = 12.8

| May precipitation days = 10.1

| Jun precipitation days = 5.0

| Jul precipitation days = 4.9

| Aug precipitation days = 6.4

| Sep precipitation days = 8.8

| Oct precipitation days = 15.1

| Nov precipitation days = 18.7

| Dec precipitation days = 17.0

| year precipitation days = 125.9

| source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/SriLanka/CSV/Badulla_43479.csv

|title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Badulla

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|access-date = January 20, 2024}}

}}

File:CeylonTheCoffeeRegionsBadulla.jpg, titled "The Coffee Regions. Badulla"]]

Badulla was an isolated village until the British built roads from Kandy and Nuwara Eliya in the mid 19th century, as part of the growing plantation economy. By the 20th century Badulla had become a regional hub, with the British establishing it as the capital of Uva Wellassa, now known as the Uva Province. Badulla has a number of British colonial buildings, including the Badulla railway station, St Mark's Church and the Old Welekade Market. Badulla district is one of the leading tea producing districts, second only behind the Nuwara-Eliya District.

The town has grown steadily since the country's independence from approximately 13,000 in 1946, to 38,000 in 1977 and 47,587 in 2011.{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Sri Lanka|author=Peebles, Patrick|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|date=2015|page=49|isbn=9781442255852}}

Badulla is a multi-national city with the ancient Muthiyangana Temple situated in its heart. The Catholic Church has a diocese headquartered here.

Badulla is about {{convert|230|km|abbr=on}} away from Colombo towards the eastern slopes of the central hills of Sri Lanka. There are multiple routes to Badulla from Colombo, Kandy and Galle. From Colombo, one can travel via Ratnapura, Balangoda, Haputale, Bandarawela and Hali Ela along A4 and A16 to Badulla, which may take 5–6 hours. From Kandy there are two routes: either via "Victoria-Randenigala Raja Mawatha" or via Nuwara Eliya (route A5). From Galle, the best route is via Matara, Hambantota, Wellawaya, Ella, Demodara and Hali Ela (route A2).

{{Main|Badulla railway station}}

Badulla railway station is the last station on the Main Line and is {{convert|292.3|km|mi|abbr=on}} away from Colombo Fort Station.

• Muthiyangana temple is an ancient Buddhist temple located in the middle of Badulla. It is regarded as one of the Solosmasthana, the sixteen sacred places in Sri Lanka, believed by Buddhists to have been visited by Gautama Buddha.
• Badulla Kataragama Devalaya is an ancient devalaya, situated in Badulla town. It is a shrine dedicated to Sinhalese deity Kataragama deviyo.
• Old Welekade Market is a historic building, built in 1889.
• Dunhinda Falls, a {{convert|64|m|ft}} high waterfall, is located {{convert|5|km|mi}} north of Badulla. This is one of the most popular waterfalls of Sri Lanka, mentioned in several famous songs and works of literature. It draws many local and foreign tourists to the region.
• Bogoda ancient wooden bridge is one of the oldest surviving wooden bridges in the country (being over 400 years old) and is located {{convert|13|km|mi}} south of Badulla, close to the town of Hali-ela.
• St Mark's Church was the first church to be consecrated (25 April 1857) by the first Bishop of Colombo Rev. James Chapman.

• List of cities in Sri Lanka
• List of Archaeological Protected Monuments in Badulla District

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{{Wikivoyage|Badulla}}

{{EB1911 poster|Badulla}}

• [http://www.governor.up.gov.lk Office of the Governor - Uva / ඌව පලාත් ආණ්ඩුකාරවර කාර්යාලය ]
• Badulla {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807205937/http://www.divaina.com/2009/12/21/mano04.html |date=2018-08-07 }}

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Category:Provincial capitals in Sri Lanka

Category:Populated places in Uva Province

Category:Grama Niladhari divisions of Sri Lanka