Columbia Encyclopedia entry: Ratnapura
Ratnapurar?t'n?poor? [Sinhalese,=city of gems], town (1995 est. pop. 46,000), SW Sri Lanka. Located in a rubber- and rice-producing area, Ratnapura is Sri Lanka's major precious-stone center, with ruby and sapphire mines and an important gem-cutting industry. The region also has graphite deposits. It is also an administrative and commercial town. A hill topped by a Portuguese fort dominates Ratnapura. Near the town is the noted temple of Maha Saman Dewal, sacred to Buddhists and Hindus.
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Wikipedia search results for: Ratnapura
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Ratnapura is the name of the provincial capital of Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka and the Ratnapura District in which the town is situated. Some say the modern name is derived from the Portuguese name Rapadura for jaggery, the palm candy produced traditionally in this region, but the more common explanation in Sri Lanka is that it comes from the Sinhala "ratna" meaning gems and "pura" meaning city. Ratnapura is also spelled as Rathnapura. Located some 101 km south east of Colombo, it is the centre of a long-established industry of precious stone mining including rubies, sapphires, and other gems. Apart from gem mining, the town is known for rice...more »
