Dharga Town
ධර්ගා නගරය
தர்கா நகர்
Sheik Hasan Bin Osman Magdoomy (Rah) Dharga Mosque
Sheik Hasan Bin Osman Magdoomy (Rah) Dharga Mosque
Dharga Town is located in Sri Lanka
Dharga Town
Dharga Town
Location in Sri Lanka
Coordinates: 6°26′45″N 80°00′09″E / 6.44583°N 80.00250°E / 6.44583; 80.00250
CountrySri Lanka
ProvinceWestern Province
DistrictKalutara District
Population
 (2012)
 • Total20,540
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (SLST)
Postal code
12090
Area code034

Dharga Town (Sinhala: ධර්ගා නගරය; Tamil: தர்கா நகர்) is a town located in Kalutara District, Western Province, Sri Lanka.[1] It is governed by the Beruwala Urban Council under the Government of Sri Lanka, and is close to Aluthgama and the tourist town Bentota.

Dharga Town received its name from the shrine of Sheik Hassan Bin Osman Magodoomy (Rali). The Shrine was established around 1866 AD when his Holiness was enshrined in his Home Town.[2]

History

The first Sri Lankan Muslim settlement took place at Berbereen (Beruwala) in honour of the Berber traveller who founded the city, Abu Yusuf al-Barbari. The second Muslim settlement was established at Alutgamaweedia, which was subsequently named Dharga town in the 1940's by the Muslims of that town.[3]

2014 Aluthgama and Dharga Town riots

In June 2014, following an alleged attack on a Buddhist monk and his driver by a Muslim individual, the leader of the Bodu Bala Sena a radical Buddhist group in Sri Lanka, reportedly delivered inflammatory remarks during a speech to a crowd. Subsequently, incidents of violence erupted, leading to the stoning of a mosque .[4][5] and widespread damage to mosques, homes, and businesses. The two-day period of unrest resulted in four fatalities and eighty reported injuries.[6] Police intervened by imposing a curfew to restore control in the affected areas.[4]

Education

Dharga Town hosts several educational institutions, including three government Muslim schools: Zahira College,[7] , which stands as one of the oldest schools in the area, Al Hambra Maha Vidyalaya, and Aluthgamveediya Muslims Ladies National School. Additionally, the town has two other government schools- KL-Pathirajagoda Preliminary School and Sri Gnanissara Maha Vidyalaya. [8] Among the private schools are Alif International School [9], Bambridge International School.

Ilharul Islam Arabic College is an Arabic college in Dharga town. An orphanage known as Isha Athul Islam Child Development Centre also operates in the area [10].

Notably, Dharga Town is the location of one of the government's teacher-training colleges, named Dharga Nagar National College of Education [11]. This diverse educational landscape reflects the town's commitment to providing a range of educational opportunities for its residents.

Population

The majority of the population are Sri Lankan Muslims [12] , while Sinhalese and Tamils make up the rest of 20,540 (including Seenawatha 765-A and Welipitiya 768-A)[13]

Infrastructure

Dharga Town is accessible via the B157 Aluthgama – Mathugama road, providing a key transportation route to and from the town. The town has a well-developed public transport system centered around buses, managed by both private operators and the government-owned Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB). The primary bus stand serving the town is the Aluthgama Bus Stand, conveniently located along the B157 Aluthgama – Mathugama road .[14]

The Aluthgama Railway Station is located on the Coastal Line, connecting Colombo to Matara and Beliatta.

References

  1. ↑ "Mycities.co – Dharga Town (Sri Lanka – Western) – Visit the city, map and weather". mycities.co. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  2. ↑ "Online edition of Daily News - Features". archives.dailynews.lk.
  3. ↑ "Brihist".
  4. 1 2 "Media Blackout On Aluthgama Situation: Police To Cover Mosques Island-Wide". Columbo Telegraph. 15 June 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  5. ↑ Campbell, Charlie (8 August 2014). "How an Extremist Buddhist Network Is Sowing Hatred Across Asia". Time. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  6. ↑ Colombage, Dinouk (18 June 2014). "In Pictures: Sri Lanka hit by religious riots". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "Aluthgama Zahira College has great potential". 16 June 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023 – via PressReader.
  8. ↑ "Schools in Dharga Town Archives". Lanka Numbers. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  9. ↑ School, Alif International (25 September 2022). "Alif International School". FAT.lk. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  10. ↑ Child Development Centers – Probation Department WP
  11. ↑ Trainee Teacher Program at Dharga Nagar National College of Education (Vidya Peeta) – Sati Pasala
  12. ↑ Handunnetti, Dilrukshi (15 June 2016). "Sri Lanka: Muslims remember Buddhist hardliner attacks". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  13. ↑ DS Web Manager. "Beruwala Divisional Secretariat – Statistical Information – Page 2". ds.gov.lk. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "Aluthgama Bus Stand - Bus station in Aluthgama".
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