While going through Thalaimanna Island land map to look for a village near Urumalai.

I came across a place name that would probably be the longest place name in Sri Lanka.

The word modutakampaddankaddikudiyiruppu. Which has 31 letters when spelt in English, translates as "the settlement named alter modutakampaddan", a popular village chief long time back. After realizing that this probably is the longest place name is Sri Lanka I searched internet to see how this place name will compare with the world leaders lenghwise. But apparently here also we are nowhere near the gold medal. Lllanfairpwllqwyngylqoqercywyrnrobwyll-llantysilioqpqoqoch has 85 letters and is a town in North Wales.

The name translates as "The church of St. Mary in the hollow of white Hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St. Tysilio, of the red cave "in Welsh. With this place name England has long claimed the fame of having the longest name in the world. However, there is a hill in New Zealand called Taumatawhakatangihangako auauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatanu.

This Maori word translates into English as the, place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as ‘landeater, played his flute to his loved one".

However, for the honour of being the longest place, favourite of the Guinness Book of Records, is the name of Bangkok (Krungthep) in Thai:

attiyavesanukamphrasit.

The Thai word translates into English as

‘The land of angels, the great city of

Immortality, varieties of devine gems.

The great angelic land unconquerable,

Land of nine noble gems, the royal city, the pleasant capital,

Place of the grand royal place,

Forever land of angles and reincarnated spirits,

Predestined and created by the highest devas."

So modutakampaddankaddikudiyiruppu may not he able to claim the honours of being in the same league as the top runners, but it probably can claim to be the longest place name in Sri Lanka.