Gandara, Sri Lanka

Gandara (ගන්දර, கந்தறை) is a village in the Matara District on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, 168 km from Colombo. It is an important village in Matara. It was slightly affected by the Asian tsunami in December 2004.

History
Historically, Gandara belongs to the area called Ruhuna, one of the three kingdoms in Sri Lanka (Thun Sinhalaya). The temple in the village was built by ancient kings and now is a popular sacred place among Buddhists in the area. The mosque in the village was built by villagers in the late 1840s.

Polling division

 * Devinuwara

Schools

 * Gandara Maha Vidyalaya
 * Gandara kanitu Viduhala
 * Al Azhar Muslim Kanista Vidyalaya, established in 1938.

Places of Worship

 * Purana Viharaya, Gandara
 * Wijerathnaramaya Temple, Gandara
 * Abayasekararamaya Temple, Gandara
 * Sri Jayabodhi Viharaya, Gandara
 * Muhiyaddeen Jumma Mosque

Transport
Gandara is on the Matara – Kataragama main road, which is served by the A32 highway.