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Muruthana
මුරුතන
Murthana; Murutana
Muruthana is located in Sri Lanka
Muruthana
Muruthana
Location in Sri Lanka
Coordinates: 7°16′44″N 79°52′24″E / 7.2788°N 79.8733°E / 7.2788; 79.8733
CountrySri Lanka
ProvinceWestern Province
DistrictGampaha District
Divisional SecretariatKatana
Population
 (2024)[1]
 • Total
1,192
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (SLT)
Postal code
11540
Area code031

Muruthana (Sinhala: මුරුතන; also spelled Murthana or Murutana) is a village and populated place in the Katana Divisional Secretariat of Gampaha District, Western Province, Sri Lanka.

Muruthana lies within the wider Kochchikade–Negombo regional landscape and is connected by local roads with Manaveriya, Udangawa, Thoppuwa, Bambukuliya, Welihena, Katana and surrounding settlements.

The locality is administratively distinct from Kochchikade, although government, education and religious records frequently use Muruthana, Kochchikade as an address form.[2][3]

Muruthana is Grama Niladhari Division 66 of Katana Divisional Secretariat.[4]

The 2024 GN-level population data record 1,192 people in Muruthana.[1]

Name

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The official administrative spelling used by the Department of Census and Statistics is Muruthana.[4]

The Sinhala name is මුරුතන.

The form Murthana is also used in institutional records. For example, the Department of Christian Affairs lists St. Anthony's Church, Murthana, Kochchikade.[3]

The spelling Murutana also occurs in geographic sources.

Administrative status

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Muruthana is Grama Niladhari Division No. 66 within the Katana Divisional Secretariat of Gampaha District. Its administrative code is 1206005.[4]

The 2012 Gampaha District GN Population Atlas lists Muruthana as GN Division 66 within Katana DS Division.[5]

The current DCS administrative coding system continues to identify Muruthana as GN 66 under Katana.[4]

Location

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Muruthana is a lowland settlement in the western part of Gampaha District.

It lies approximately at 7°16′44″N 79°52′24″E / 7.2788°N 79.8733°E / 7.2788; 79.8733 and forms part of the settlement landscape between Kochchikade and the Katana interior.

Nearby localities include Dankotuwa, Bolawatta, Manaveriya, Udangawa, Thoppuwa and Bambukuliya.

The local landscape contains:

  • residential areas;
  • home gardens;
  • small agricultural plots;
  • local roads;
  • schools;
  • religious institutions; and
  • lowland drainage and water channels.

Population

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The 2012 GN-level census recorded a population of 1,369 for Muruthana GN Division 66.[5]

The 2024 GN-level population dataset records 1,192.[1]

Census year Population
2012 1,369
2024 1,192

These figures apply specifically to GN Division 66 and do not represent the combined population of the wider Muruthana–Manaveriya–Thoppuwa–Bambukuliya area.

Nearby localities

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Localities closely connected with Muruthana include:

Muruthana, Manaveriya, Udangawa, Thoppuwa and Bambukuliya form a cluster of neighbouring GN divisions within Katana Divisional Secretariat.[4]

Relationship with Manaveriya

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Manaveriya is one of the closest neighbouring GN divisions.

Manaveriya is GN 67A, while Muruthana is GN 66; both are administered by Katana Divisional Secretariat.[4]

The 2024 population data record 1,835 people for Manaveriya and 1,192 for Muruthana.[1]

The two localities are linked by roads, schools, churches and daily commercial activity.

Main article: Manaveriya

Relationship with Kochchikade

[edit]

Muruthana is closely associated with Kochchikade in local addresses and institutional records.

The Ministry of Education lists Muruthana K.V. with the address Muruthana, Kochchikade.[2]

The Department of Christian Affairs similarly lists St. Anthony's Church, Murthana, Kochchikade.[3]

This usage does not mean that Muruthana is part of Kochchikade GN Division 78. Muruthana is separately administered as GN Division 66 under Katana, while Kochchikade GN 78 belongs to the Negombo Divisional Secretariat.[4]

Main article: Kochchikade

Relationship with Negombo

[edit]

Negombo is the principal urban service and tourism centre for the wider region.

Residents of Muruthana can access larger health, education, commercial and government services in Negombo through the Kochchikade road network.

Negombo also provides railway and bus connections, commercial facilities and access to the coastal tourism economy.

Main article: Negombo

Relationship with Thoppuwa

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Thoppuwa is a neighbouring Katana settlement.

Thoppuwa is GN Division 65A, while Muruthana is GN Division 66.[4]

The 2024 population of Thoppuwa was 3,085.[1]

The two localities are connected through educational and religious institutions and local roads.

Main article: Thoppuwa

Relationship with Bambukuliya

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Bambukuliya is GN Division 65 under Katana Divisional Secretariat.[4]

The 2024 population was 2,788.[1]

Muruthana and Bambukuliya are directly connected by the Murutana–Bambukuliya Road, designated D-31 by the Western Provincial Road Development Authority. The road is approximately 3.46 km long.[6]

The road forms an important local connection between the two settlements.

Main article: Bambukuliya

Road network

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The Western Provincial Road Development Authority identifies several roads in the wider Muruthana–Kochchikade area.

These include:

  • Murutana–Bambukuliya Road — D-31 — 3.46 km;
  • Kochchikade–Pallensena — C-19 — 1.60 km;
  • Palagaturai Road — C-22 — 1.37 km; and
  • Dalupatha–Kochchikanada–Welihena — D-19 — 5.11 km.[6]

These roads connect Muruthana with Kochchikade, Pallansena, Bambukuliya, Thoppuwa and Welihena.

Education

[edit]

The principal documented school in the locality is Muruthana K.V.

The Ministry of Education's school directory lists:

Muruthana K.V. — Muruthana, Kochchikade

The school is a provincial mixed school serving Grades 1–11.[2]

The wider education network around Muruthana also includes schools at Thoppuwa, Bambukuliya, Welihena, Ethgala and Kochchikade.

The use of the address Muruthana, Kochchikade in the official school listing is an important example of the difference between administrative GN boundaries and wider local address geography.

Religious institutions

[edit]

The Department of Christian Affairs' Gampaha District church table lists:

St. Anthony's Church, Murthana, Kochchikade

as a Catholic church in Katana DS Division and GN Division 66 Muruthana.[3]

The church is one of the principal documented religious institutions directly associated with the locality.

Sunday school

[edit]

The Department of Christian Affairs' Sunday-school database lists:

St. Anthony's Sunday School, Murthana, Kochchikade

under Gampaha District, Katana Divisional Secretariat and GN Division 66 Muruthana.[7]

The institution forms part of the local religious education and community network.

Religious and social landscape

[edit]

Muruthana forms part of the multi-religious settlement landscape of western Gampaha District.

The neighbouring Kochchikade, Thoppuwa, Bambukuliya and Welihena areas contain Buddhist and Christian religious institutions as well as schools and community organisations.

The Department of Christian Affairs' records document churches and Sunday schools in the wider area, including St. Anthony's Church at Muruthana and churches at Thoppuwa and Welihena.[3][7]

Relationship with Dankotuwa and Bolawatta

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Muruthana lies close to Dankotuwa and Bolawatta.

Dankotuwa is a regional town in Puttalam District, while Muruthana remains within Gampaha District and Katana Divisional Secretariat.

This gives Muruthana a geographic connection between the Katana–Negombo area and settlements towards Dankotuwa.

Maha Oya and water systems

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Muruthana lies within the lower Maha Oya watershed.

The Maha Oya system is important to the lowland environments of Gampaha and neighbouring areas.

The Central Environmental Authority monitors the surface-water quality of Maha Oya, including the lower river system around Kochchikade.[8]

Small drainage channels and lowland waterways around Muruthana form part of this wider hydrological landscape.

Land use

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Muruthana contains a mixture of urbanising and rural land uses.

These include:

  • residential properties;
  • home gardens;
  • small agricultural plots;
  • commercial premises;
  • schools;
  • churches;
  • local roads; and
  • drainage areas.

The built environment is denser closer to Kochchikade, while the landscape becomes more rural towards Katana and the eastern and northern settlements.

Economy

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The local economy is linked with Kochchikade, Negombo, Katana and Dankotuwa.

Economic activities include:

  • retail trade;
  • small businesses;
  • food and service activities;
  • transport;
  • construction;
  • education;
  • home gardening; and
  • small-scale agriculture.

The proximity of Kochchikade provides access to a larger commercial and transport centre.

Access to services

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Residents use nearby Kochchikade and Negombo for many services.

Kochchikade provides access to:

  • railway services;
  • postal services;
  • police services;
  • municipal services;
  • schools;
  • banks; and
  • retail businesses.

Negombo provides larger hospitals, government services, commercial facilities and tourism-related services.

Tourism and regional significance

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Muruthana is not a major independent tourist destination, but it forms part of the wider Negombo–Kochchikade–Katana transport and settlement landscape.

Visitors travelling through the region can connect from Muruthana towards:

Its tourism significance is therefore primarily related to accessibility and its position within the wider regional network.

Environment

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The main environmental feature associated with Muruthana is its location within a lowland drainage and watershed landscape linked to the Maha Oya.

Water quality, drainage and flood-related conditions can be relevant during periods of heavy rainfall.

The Central Environmental Authority's surface-water monitoring of Maha Oya provides a wider environmental framework for understanding the river system around the Kochchikade–Muruthana area.[8]

Climate

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Muruthana lies in the lowland western part of Sri Lanka.

The locality has a warm and humid tropical climate influenced by the southwest monsoon and inter-monsoonal rainfall.

Heavy rainfall can affect low-lying drainage areas and local roads.

Regional GN network

[edit]

The immediate administrative network can be represented as:

Gampaha District
│
└── Katana Divisional Secretariat
    │
    ├── Muruthana — GN 66
    ├── Manaveriya — GN 67A
    ├── Udangawa — GN 67
    ├── Thoppuwa — GN 65A
    └── Bambukuliya — GN 65

This is a geographic and administrative reference diagram rather than a settlement hierarchy. All five GN divisions are within Katana DS Division.[4]

Regional transport network

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The local transport network can be represented as:

Kochchikade
    │
    ▼
Muruthana
    ├── Manaveriya
    ├── Thoppuwa
    ├── Bambukuliya
    ├── Udangawa
    └── Katana / interior
          │
          └── Dankotuwa direction

The Muruthana–Bambukuliya Road provides a direct link between two of the neighbouring settlements.[6]

Historical development

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Muruthana's modern settlement development has been closely connected with the Kochchikade–Katana road network, schools, churches and local commerce.

The 2012 DCS GN Population Atlas already identified Muruthana as GN Division 66 under Katana, documenting its established administrative status.[5]

The continued presence of Muruthana K.V. and St. Anthony's Church demonstrates the institutional development of the settlement over time.[2][3]

Main places and institutions

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Important places associated with Muruthana include:

  • Muruthana K.V.;
  • St. Anthony's Church, Murthana;
  • St. Anthony's Sunday School;
  • Muruthana–Bambukuliya Road;
  • the nearby Kochchikade road network;
  • Manaveriya;
  • Thoppuwa;
  • Bambukuliya;
  • Udangawa; and
  • the lower Maha Oya landscape.
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Muruthana and surrounding area

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See also

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References

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