Wellawaya (Sinhala: වැල්ලවාය, romanized: Vællavāya; Tamil: வெல்லவாய, romanized: Vellavāyā) is a town located in Monaragala District, Uva Province of Sri Lanka.
Wellawaya වැල්ලවාය வெல்லவாயா | |
|---|---|
Town | |
  Wellawaya Location in Sri Lanka | |
| Coordinates: 6°44′0″N 81°6′0″E / 6.73333°N 81.10000°E | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Uva Province |
| District | Monaragala District |
| Population (2012[1]) | |
| • Total | 54,099 |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time) |
History
On 25 August 1630 a major battle took place near Wellawaya between Portuguese forces and the Sinhalese under the command of King Rajasinghe II, which resulted in a complete rout of the Portuguese army.[2]
Wellawaya is where the first armed attack occurred, on 5 April 1971, by the communist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) against the Government of Ceylon, under Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike.[3]