Stories Behind Names of Places in Sri Lanka – KAYMAN’S GATE – By Dr. Nimal Sedera
Source : Qld Sri Lankan Newsletter – Dæhæna – June 2023
This was a very famous place in Sri Lanka when it was under the Portuguese, Dutch and the British. Sinhala people called it “Kayman dorakada”. The story is very interesting as it reveals war strategies of
the era.
It is common knowledge that the Portuguese were the first to capture Colombo. After deceiving the Sri Lankan King in Kotte, they sought permission to have a land, the size of a cattle skin for their settlement. The King willingly approved the proposal. The story is that the Portuguese cut a cattle skin into thin strips and joined together forming a large extent of land. Thereafter, they built the Colombo fort on it and slowly constructed a waterway around it. The Beira Lake is a part of it and the area we identify as Colombo Fort was the place where the Portuguese Fort was. This was later used by the Dutch and then by the British, extending and developing it as their main centre. This area in Sinhala is called “Kotuwa”.
“Pita Kotuwa” area is the land outside the fort. To date, we use these two words as key parts of the Colombo City: “Kotuwa and Pitakotuwa”. Kayman’s Gate was the main entrance to the Portuguese Fort.
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The story is interesting as to how it was called Kayman’s gate. This fort was captured by the Dutch in 1656. There were crocodiles in the waterways around the fort. Some say they came to eat the food discarded to the canal. There is also a view that they were bred to prevent the enemies coming.
However, the Dutch word for crocodiles is “KAAIMAN”. So, the gate, the main entrance to the Fort, was referred to by the Sinhalese “Kayman Dorakada”. “Dora” is the Sinhala word for the door “Dorakada” means “the entrance”.
The original bell at “Kayman’s Gate” can be seen even today at the intersection of Main Street and 4th Cross Street in the Colombo Fort area.
Dr. Nimal Sedera
Dr. Nimal Sedera is a journalist, poet, motivational speaker and an
author of over 70 books.
