Kurunegala is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of the North Western Province and the Kurunegala District. Kurunegala was an ancient royal capital for 50 years, from the end of the 13^th century to the start of the 14^th century. It is at the junction of several main roads linking to other important parts of the country. It is about 94 km from Colombo and 42 km from Kandy. Located at an altitude of 116 meters above sea level, Kurunegala is surrounded by coconut plantations and rubber estates. There are eight very noticeable large rocks that encircle and dominate the city. Kurunegala's rocks rise from the plain below and have characteristic names, six of which come from the animals that they are imagined to represent. The largest among them is Ethagala or the "Elephant Rock", reaches 325 meters. The shape of Ethagala resembles an elephant.

Kurunegala-towered by the elephant rock

Named after the giant elephant shaped rock which stands over its men and township, Kurunegala enjoys a pleasant location overlooked by huge rocky outcrops.

Having ascended to Sri Lanka’s capital city in the 13 th Century due to invasions of Aryachakrwarthi, it remained a citadel for a century until losing its glory to Gampola. Today Kurunegala is a transit city on road and railway on the way to Anuradhapura, Kandy, Puttalam, Trincomalee and Negombo.

With many a coconut and rubber plantations surrounding the Kurunegala is also a city in waiting to be explored. The giant boulders, which are strangely similar to various animals dominates the city’s landscape and the Buddha statue built on the famous athugala is one of city’s major landmarks. The clock towers in the midst of town had been built in memory of soldiers who fought in the King’s army during the First World War.

Ruins of the once glorious Panduwasnuwara, Dambadeniya and Yapahuwa too are located as the testaments of ancient Hasthishailapura.