Warakapola (si|වරකාපොල; ta|வரகாபொல) is a town situated in the Dedigama Electorate of the Kegalle District, which is part of the Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. Warakapola falls under the administrative unit of the Warakapola Divisional Secretariat and the local governance of the Warakapola Pradeshiya Sabha. It is located northeast of Colombo on the Colombo-Kandy Road.
Warakapola was part of Kiraweli Pattuwa, located in the Beligal Korale of the Dissava of Sabaragamuwa. This area was under the rule of the Kingdom of Kandy until it came under British colonial rule in 1815.
During British Ceylon, the Kegalle District was subdivided into Paranakuru Korale, Galboda Korale, Kinigoda Korale, Beligal Korale, Atulugam Korale, Dehigampal Korale, Panawal Korale and Lower Bulatgama Korale.
Warakapola was part of Kiraweli Pattuwa, located in the Beligal Korale of the Kegalle District within the Sabaragamuwa Province. The population of Kiraweli Pattuwa, as recorded in 1871, is provided below.
| 1871 Population | Percentage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gandolaha Pattuwa | 3,553 | 12.97% | ||
| Kandupita Pattuwa | 7,599 | 27.75% | ||
| Kiraweli Pattuwa | 12,187 | 44.50% | ||
| Otara Pattuwa | 4,047 | 14.78% | ||
| align=left style="background: #99CCFF;" | Beligal Korale Total | 27,386 | 100.00% |
| 2012 Population | Percentage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddhist | 102,661 | 90.81% | ||
| Islam | 6,326 | 5.60% | ||
| Hindu | 3,065 | 2.71% | ||
| Roman Catholic | 677 | 0.60% | ||
| Other Christian | 320 | 0.28% | ||
| Other | 7 | 0.01% | ||
| align=left style="background: #99CCFF;" | Total | 113,056 | 100.00% |
Warakapola has a number of nearby tourist attractions:
Warakapola Pradeshiya Sabha [3] established under the Pradeshiya Sabha Act No. 15 of 1987, is the largest Pradeshiya Sabha in the Kegalle District. Historically, the Dedigama area was governed by three separate local government institutions: the Warakapola Town Council, Dedigama Village Council, and Tholangamuwa Othara Pattu Village Council. These three institutions were amalgamated in 1991 to form the Warakapola Pradeshiya Sabha.
The inaugural session of the Warakapola Pradeshiya Sabha was held on 1 July 1991 at the Warakapola Town Hall. The Pradeshiya Sabha office was relocated to its current building, equipped with modern facilities, on 26 October 2020.