From Ramayana
Unawatuna traces its roots to the great epic Ramayana. In the mythological epic, the monkey-warrior Hanuman was sent back to India to fetch the four medicinal herbs by Jambavan namely, mritasanjeevani, vishalyakarani, suvarnakarani, and sandhani from the Himalayas in order to heal Lakshman who was wounded trying to save the abducted Princess Sita from the demon king Ravana. Hanuman failed to identify these herbs, so he lifted the entire mountain and carried it to the battlefield to try to save Lakshman, but in the process, a chunk of it "fell-down" in the location of the present day Unawatuna, the name of the village derives from "Una-watuna" meaning "fell down".
Currently, an edifice is being built in honour of Hanuman on the harbour end of Rumassala Hill by Japanese monks of the Mahayana sect of Buddhism near the Peace Pagoda that they built.
Alternate mythology
A banished Indian Prince was shipwrecked and the Goddess of Earth, Manimekala, taking pity created a rocky shelf for him to save his life and that subsequently he headed to Unawatuna. The Goddess of Chastity, Pattini, created a wall of fire to prevent him coming ashore, but being a person of some supreme power, he set in motion a tsunami with his foot to extinguish the fire and set foot on the shores of Unawatuna.
It is said that he lived in Unawatuna and helped the people in various ways. Over the years he has been venerated and worshiped, and the Kovil (or Devalaya) on the west end point of the bay which has a history of over a thousand years is believed to be the abode of this Devol deity.
Dagaba
In later years a Buduge, or House of Buddha, and the Swethamalee Chaitiya, or Dagaba, was built on the hillock abutting the Devalaya, or House of Gods. Thousands of pilgrims throng to this place of worship every month of Esala to offer poojas. This festival is a new rice offering so most cultivators bring a share of their crop and pray for timely rain and plentiful harvest. Some others save a fistful of rice from their daily meal and offer that rice, still others would purchase a few measures or even full gunnies of rice along with coconuts to offer.
This rice is pounded and mixed with coconut milk and treacle and made into a porridge which is then offered to the deities at the devalaya and given as alms to thousands of devotees who will trek to the devalaya for this alms giving or Maha Deva Dana or Kiri Dana.
Fisher folk save and offer part of their earnings called "Goda kotasa" seeking protection on their forays into the ocean.This rice is pounded and mixed with coconut milk and treacle and made into a porridge which is then offered to the deities at the devalaya and given as alms to thousands of devotees who will trek to the devalaya for this alms giving or Maha Deva Dana or Kiri Dana. Fisher folk save and offer part of their earnings called "Goda kotasa" seeking protection on their forays into the ocean.
A famous place in Unawatuna:-
g to rebuild their lives and welcome back tourists from all over the world. At this time, more than any other, they need our support and it’s only with the rebuilding of tourism that they can get their lives back in order. We are heavily involved in supporting local business and providing materials and financial backing to local people.We think that this area is a little bit of paradise and it is our intention to develop approximately one acre of land with the idea of inviting others to join us to make possible the idea of buying property in Sri Lanka at a very affordable price. On this site you can see an example of our previous building work and get some idea of the building process. There are also many photos of the area and journey from Colombo only three months after the tsunami.
The land sits beside a small river, hence the name Punci Ganga, meaning small or little river. It is situated approximately two kilometres from the main area of Unawatuna beach. It’s only a very short and cheap ride by tuk-tuk but far enough away to enjoy the peace and tranquility that the area has to offer. - Top-Rated Hotels
- Flower Garden Hotel
- Dalawella Beach Resort
- Thambapanni Retreat
- Unawatuna Beach Resort
- Thaproban Beach House
- Unawatuna Beach Bungalow Hotel
- Sri Gemunu Beach Resort
- Flower Garden Hotel
- Top-Rated B&Bs
- Nor Lanka Hotel
- Little Villa Hotel
- SurfCity Guesthouse
Diving in Sri Lanka is part of the whole experience, watching Turtles manoeuvre their bulky bodies with such grace, can only be experienced in their environment, under the water.The beautifully preserved wreck “The Rangoon” only 30 minutes boat ride away, lying upright with its masts intact, a 100-year-old British steamer is a highly recommended dive.The “Tango” shipwreck is another underwater museum piece in the same area as “The Rangoon”Napoleon Reef & Galapiteala reef, multi level dives with outstanding array of fish, Bat Fish, Napoleon Wrasse, Golden Moray Eels plus many smaller colourful inhabitants make these especially enjoyable dives for divers of all levels. We run most of our courses at these reefs including learners open water certification courses.
Colonial period
The Dutch built houses for their officials in Unawatuna. These constructions include the Nooit Gedatch hotel, Unawatuna Hospital and the mansion Maharambe. UBR hotel is situated on a land called Parangiyawatta, meaning "land of the Portuguese", and the area nearby is known as Jayakotuwa, suggesting there may have been some fortification.
