Stories Behind Names of Places in Sri Lanka:
How Lellupitiya got its Name

Lellupitiya is a very famous village in the district of Ratnapura, “the Gem pit” of our motherland.

The story goes back to the time the Portuguese arrived in Sri Lanka. They deceived the King of Kotte to build a fort in Colombo cunningly, and gradually intruded into the country. They went to Ratnapura hearing of the rich gem pits in the area. Sri Lanka was well known in the world for its Gems even more than today. Realising the value of capturing Ratnapura for economic gains, they were successful in building their fortress in a land in the vicinity of Ratnapura. The people of the area lived in fear of an attack from the fortress would
happen anytime.

Contanthinu da Sa, a dreadful war veteran of the Portuguese was
heading the regiment in the fort.

However, before long the Sinhala silently intruded into the area and surrounded the Portuguese fort and set everything for an attack. The attack by the Sinhala army was so powerful that, the Portuguese could not face it. The land around the fortress became a patch of blood stains with the Portuguese all being killed. People began to call this place “Lee helluwa pitiya “ meaning the “blood stained land” Over time the name evolved to be “Lellopitiya.

Dr. Nimal Sedera
Dr. Nimal Sedera is a jounalist, poet, motivational speaker and an
author of 70 books.