# Puttalam

Puttalam (Sinhala: පුත්තලම, romanized: Puttalama; Tamil: புத்தளம், romanized: Puttaḷam) is the largest town in Puttalam District, North Western Province, Sri Lanka. Puttalam is the administrative capital of the Puttalam District and governed by an urban council.

## Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Pattalam has a tropical savanna climate (As) with a short dry season from June to September and a second dry season from January to March. The wet season is mainly from October to December. Temperatures remain steady throughout the year with little variations in between.
Climate data for Puttalam (1991–2020) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34.4 (93.9) | 36.4 (97.5) | 38.5 (101.3) | 38.5 (101.3) | 36.2 (97.2) | 35.4 (95.7) | 34.9 (94.8) | 35.5 (95.9) | 35.7 (96.3) | 35.5 (95.9) | 34.5 (94.1) | 33.1 (91.6) | 38.5 (101.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.7 (87.3) | 32.3 (90.1) | 33.5 (92.3) | 33.2 (91.8) | 32.5 (90.5) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.3 (88.3) | 30.7 (87.3) | 30.0 (86.0) | 31.8 (89.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.2 (79.2) | 27.0 (80.6) | 28.6 (83.5) | 28.9 (84.0) | 29.5 (85.1) | 29.2 (84.6) | 28.9 (84.0) | 28.9 (84.0) | 28.9 (84.0) | 28.1 (82.6) | 27.1 (80.8) | 26.4 (79.5) | 28.1 (82.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.4 (70.5) | 21.7 (71.1) | 23.4 (74.1) | 24.7 (76.5) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.3 (79.3) | 26.2 (79.2) | 25.9 (78.6) | 24.7 (76.5) | 23.5 (74.3) | 22.6 (72.7) | 24.5 (76.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 15.6 (60.1) | 16.2 (61.2) | 17.0 (62.6) | 20.5 (68.9) | 19.7 (67.5) | 22.7 (72.9) | 22.0 (71.6) | 22.5 (72.5) | 21.4 (70.5) | 21.3 (70.3) | 17.4 (63.3) | 15.7 (60.3) | 15.6 (60.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 50.5 (1.99) | 42.1 (1.66) | 56.9 (2.24) | 154.4 (6.08) | 101.8 (4.01) | 32.1 (1.26) | 23.5 (0.93) | 23.3 (0.92) | 69.2 (2.72) | 230.6 (9.08) | 254.6 (10.02) | 143.7 (5.66) | 1,182.6 (46.56) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.6 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 9.5 | 6.5 | 4.2 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 5.8 | 12.8 | 15.3 | 10.8 | 84.7 |
| Source: NOAA ||||||||||||||

## Points of interest

* Puttalam Lagoon
* Saltern
* Seguwantivu and Vidatamunai Wind Farms

## Energy

Seguwantivu Wind Power (Private) Limited, an Indian firm, invests US$37 million and maintains 25 wind turbines which produce 20 MWs of electricity in Puttalam Seguwantivu region.

## Education
### National schools

* St. Mary's National College
* St. Andrew's Central College
* Ananda National School
* Zahira College,Puttalam
* Kalpitiya Nirmala Matha National College.
* President's Science College
* Fathima Muslim Ladies College
* Science High School Puttalam

### Provincial schools

* Puttalam Hindu Central College
* Thillayadi Muslim Maha Vidhyalaya
* Zahira Primary School
* Manal Kundru Muslim Maha Vidhiyalaya
* Zainab Muslim Girl's Primary
* Assenkudhoos Government Muslim Vidyalayam

### International schools

* Phoenix International School
* Puttalam Primary school and child care centre
* KEC
* St. Joseph Vaz College
* Ikra International School
* School of Excellence
* Mercy Education Center
Puttalam also has an open university.

## Religion

Puttalam is a multi-cultural and multi-religious town. Islam is the major religion in Puttalam town while Buddhists and Christians are significant minorities; there is also a small Hindu population.
Religion in Puttalam town (2012) :
| Population | Population | Percent | Percent |
| Islam | Islam | 86.02% | 86.02% |
| Buddhist | Buddhist | 12.27% | 12.27% |
| Christian | Christian | 7.60% | 7.60% |
| Hindu | Hindu | 1.27% | 1.27% |
| Others | Others | 0.01% | 0.01% |

### Religious places

* Mohideen Jumma Mosque
* Buddhist Centre
* Muthu Maariamman Temple
* Mother of Refuge Catholic Church
Climate data for Puttalam (1961–1990) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 35.0 (95.0) | 37.9 (100.2) | 38.5 (101.3) | 38.5 (101.3) | 36.2 (97.2) | 36.1 (97.0) | 36.7 (98.1) | 35.5 (95.9) | 35.7 (96.3) | 35.5 (95.9) | 36.1 (97.0) | 34.6 (94.3) | 38.5 (101.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.5 (86.9) | 32.1 (89.8) | 33.2 (91.8) | 33.1 (91.6) | 32.3 (90.1) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.1 (88.0) | 30.5 (86.9) | 29.9 (85.8) | 31.6 (88.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.8 (78.4) | 26.8 (80.2) | 28.1 (82.6) | 28.8 (83.8) | 29.0 (84.2) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.5 (83.3) | 27.6 (81.7) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.0 (78.8) | 27.8 (82.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.0 (69.8) | 21.4 (70.5) | 23.1 (73.6) | 24.5 (76.1) | 25.8 (78.4) | 26.2 (79.2) | 25.6 (78.1) | 25.5 (77.9) | 25.3 (77.5) | 24.1 (75.4) | 22.9 (73.2) | 22.1 (71.8) | 24.0 (75.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 15.2 (59.4) | 13.5 (56.3) | 14.9 (58.8) | 19.9 (67.8) | 19.7 (67.5) | 20.4 (68.7) | 21.0 (69.8) | 20.2 (68.4) | 20.4 (68.7) | 19.4 (66.9) | 16.7 (62.1) | 16.7 (62.1) | 13.5 (56.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 55 (2.2) | 40 (1.6) | 66 (2.6) | 176 (6.9) | 95 (3.7) | 42 (1.7) | 16 (0.6) | 16 (0.6) | 64 (2.5) | 238 (9.4) | 249 (9.8) | 138 (5.4) | 1,195 (47.0) |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at Daytime) | 70 | 66 | 67 | 71 | 74 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 72 | 75 | 76 | 75 | 72 |
| Source 1: NOAA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: Department of Meteorology (records up to 2007) "Puttalam records from 2007 to 2021" (in French). Meteo Climat. Retrieved 25 August 2021. ||||||||||||||

## Notable people

* Sahan Adeesha - cricketer born in Puttalam
* Hector Appuhamy - politician, Member of Parliament
* Tariq Hisny - composer, born in Puttalam
* H. S. Ismail - 5th Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
* Abdul Baiz Kamardeen - politician, former Chairman of Puttalam Urban Council
* M. H. M. Naina Marikar - first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka as member for Puttalam
* M. H. M. Navavi - politician, former Member of Parliament
* Ali Sabri Raheem - politician, Member of Parliament