Idalgashinna

Idalgashinna in a valley in the Haputale-Namunukula range

Idalgashinna (Sinhala: ඉදල්ගස්හින්න, Tamil: இதல்கஸ்ஹின்ன) is a small village in the Badulla District, Uva Province, Sri Lanka.[1] Situated at an elevation of about 1,615 metres (5,299 ft) above sea level, it is located in the Haputale-Namunukula mountain range.[1] The area is home to the Idalgashinna Estate, with the closest large town being Haputale, about 9km south on the railway.[2] Between the two locales lies the Thangamale Bird Sanctuary.[1] Education in the area comes under the purview of the Welimada Divisional Secretariat, which administers the Idalgashinna Tamil Vidyalaya (Idalgashinna Tamil College), Beauvais Tamil Vidyalaya and the Ellethota Vidyalaya.[3]

Idalgashinna was established as a tea estate in 1984, although the area had seen isolated periods of settlement prior to this.[1][2] The Idalgashinna Pass is a prominent geological feature in the area; Idalgashinna was regarded as a key entrance to the upland country, with the Portuguese attempting to use the pass in their wars against the Kingdom of Kandy in the 16th century.[1][4]

Railway station

Main article: Idalgashinna railway station

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Fernando, Dimitri. "Nested in the Bosom of the Hills". Lankalibrary. lankalibrary.com. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Idalgashinna Estate". cominstea.com. Comins Tea. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Uva Provincial Department of Education: School List" (PDF). edudept.up.gov.lk. Uva Provincial Department Of Education Uva Provincial Department Of Education. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  4. ^ Wickramage, P.; Jayasena, H.A.H.; Seneviratne, L.K.; Gunatilake, A.A.J.K. (January 1995). "Geomorphology of the central hill country of Sri Lanka". Conference: The 2nd South Asia geological Congress, At Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 6 February 2018.

6°47′N 80°54′E / 6.783°N 80.900°E / 6.783; 80.900