Maharagama is an outer suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka on the High-Level (A4) Road about from the centre of the commercial capital. It developed rapidly in the 1980s as a dormitory suburb. Governed by the Maharagama Urban Council, the town possesses facilities like supermarkets, department stores, clothing, food and beverages shops to fulfill the needs of citizens.
There are number of bus routes passing the area and starting from the suburb that connect Maharagama to all the suburbs. The Sri Lanka Transport Board has a depot in Maharagama.
Maharagama Urban Council Zone Mirihana Madivela Thalawathugoda Kottawa Pannipitiya Maharagama Godigamuwa
Demographics According to the census of 2012, the demographics of Maharagama by religion and ethnicity is as follows. Religious & Ethnic Identification in Maharagama Urban Council area 2012 PercentageBuddhist 179,649 91.96%Roman Catholic 6,582 3.37%Other Christian 3,267 1.67%Hindu 2,905 1.49%Islam 2,765 1.42%Other 187 0.10%Total 195,355 100.00%Sinhalese187,36395.90Sri Lankan Tamils3,1071.59Sri Lankan Moors1,3690.70Burghers1,3430.68Sri Lankan Malays1,1430.58Indian Tamils5290.27Bharatha4710.24 Sri Lankan Chetty820.04Other160.00Total195,355 100.00%
Vesak Pandol The Maharagama trade union constructs a Vesak Pandol (a huge, temporarily electronically lit structure depicting the life of the Buddha) annually during the Vesak season. This attracts many people from around the country, and is one of the most recognized Pandols in all of Sri Lanka.
Important places around Maharagama National Youth Services Council National Institute of Education (NIE), Sri Lanka National Cancer Institute (NCI)/Apeksha Hospital Sri Vajiragnana Dharmayatanaya (Bhikkhu Training Center) National Teachers' Training College National Ayurvedic Hospital Boralesgamuwa Lake University of Sri Jayewardenepura National Dental Institute Sri Jawardenapura National Hospital Arpico Super Center, Navinna Ghafooriyya Arabic College, Maharagama
Schools in Maharagama Buwanekaba Maha Vidyalaya Central College-Maharagama Dharmashoka Kanista Vidyalaya Ghafooriya Arabic College JMC International School President's College, Maharagama Royal Institute International School Vidyakara Balika Maha Vidyalaya Polymath International Collage
Public transport
Railway Trains starting from Colombo Fort stop at Maharagama Railway Station and nearby Nawinna Railway Station. The stations lie on the Kelani Valley Line, with local trains to Colombo Fort, Maradana, and Avissawella.
Maharagama Railway Station is in the Pamunuwa area.
Currently the Kelani Valley Line serves an increasingly urbanizing population between Colombo Fort and Maharagama. Though capacity increased through broad-gauging the line, services face limitations due to sharp curves and the illegal construction on the sides of the track between Colombo and Maharagama.
Bus routes Maharagama, which is in the middle of few important areas, has bus routes that access to the suburb centre.
Bus routes heading via Maharagama to/from Colombo: (via High Level Rd, Nugegoda and Kirulapona) 138 - Kottawa / Homagama 138/2 - Mattegoda 138/3 - Rukmalgama 138/4 - Athurugiriya 138/5 - Mullegama 122 - Avissawella / Ratnapura 125 - Padukka / Ingiriya
Local bus routes terminating at Maharagama: 138 - Colombo (Pettah) 112 - Kotahena 119 - Dehiwala (via Boralesgamuwa and Bellanwila) 119 - Nugegoda 993 - Malabe 122/1 - Avissawella (by Sri Lanka Transport Board - SLTB) 123 - Athurugiriya 124 - Ihalabope 128/1 - Moonamalewaththa 125/1 - Ingiriya/Padukka 129 - Moragahahena (by SLTB) 192 - Moratuwa 280 - Horana 341 - Piliyandala 341/1 - Katuwawala 341/1/256 - Ratmalana (via Neelammahara / Borupana / Belek Kade Junction) 341/2 - Karadiyana (via Bokundara ) 345 - Katuwawala (via Government Cancer Institute) 990 - Vidyala Junction (via Dambahena / Weera Mawatha) 990/1 - Dambahena 212 - Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital (Nawarohala) 991 - Sri Jayewardenepure Hospital (Nawarohala) 994 - Hokandara (via Polwatta) 996 - Katukurunda 212/341 - Bokundara (via Makuludoowa, Arawwala & Moraketiya)
Long-distance bus service via Maharagama to/from Colombo:
99 - Badulla / Welimada / Passara 122 - Ratnapura / Embilipitiya / Suriyawewa
Long-distance bus service terminating at Maharagama operated by the SLTB: 02 - Galle / Matara (Normal Service) EX 001 - Galle / Matara (Luxury Service via the Southern Expressway) 69/122 - Kandy 16/122 - Kandy 16/79 - Nuwara Eliya 16/48 - Polonnaruwa 16/48 - Batticaloa 16/57 - Anuradhapura 16/15 - Mullaitivu 02/16/15 - Mannar 02/16/57 - Jaffna 99 - Pambahinna - (Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka)
References
External links http://www.nysc.lk/ National Youth Services Council https://web.archive.org/web/20120109212828/http://www.ncisl.lk/ National Cancer Institute https://web.archive.org/web/20111112135050/http://www.vajiragnana.lk/sasana_sin.html Siri Vajiragnana Dharmayathanaya Google Map of Maharagama