Madawala

Madawala, also called Madawala Bazaar, is a village in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. This village, which consists of over 2500 families most of whom are practising Muslims. The inhabitants speak a local dialect of Tamil which differs with the Tamil due to Islamic influences. They can also speak Sinhalese, which is the national language of Sri Lanka as well as English but lesser effort is taken in learning English because they fear Western Christian traditions will interfere with their local cultures and Muslim traditions. At present the local community and religious leader of Madawala is Moulavi Burhaan(Bahji). There is a moderate version of the Shariah Law in place throughout the village as all dha'wa groups are being working with brotherhood in Madawala.

Madawala is popular for its Medina National School or also known as Madina Central College, is one of the leading Tamil medium schools in Sri Lanka, which is situated in this village. It has produced several renowned intellectuals, scholars, religious leaders, professors, lawyers, doctors, engineers, computer experts, sportsmen, school principals, teachers, poets, authors, traders, innovative industrialists and soldiers of armed forces of the country. The popular innovative Industrialist for Minerals with Dolomite in Sri Lanka Late Alhaj Azeez Muhammedh Rauf and senior journalist and author Mr.Latheef Farook were born in Madawala. Madawala also has a famous Grand Mosque where the ancestors had dignified the villagers to be always as one group.The Grand Mosque is to be the one and only Jumma mosque of this calibre and many other Thakkiya mosques which have made the inhabitants very easy to pray at a mosque.

Madawala has come into spotlight mainly due to the negative events such as the event that took place in the year 1999 when the opposing political factions took up arms to fight against each other which was only stopped when the Government forces intervened and the more recent event in 2001 where 10 Muslim boys who supported the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress were shot dead by then Government Party activists.

Recently Ashraff Memorial Building was built in the grounds of Madawala Madina Central college in memory of M. H. M. Ashraff who was the founder of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. This area is well linked with the Kandy city by good road network.

See also

• Bazaar

External links

• Madawala Bazaar Welfare Society UK

• Kadhimul Umma Welfare Association Madawala Bazaar