Sri Lanka · Western Province · Colombo
Modara, Colombo — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Modara is a municipal ward of Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, lying close to the mouth of the Kelani Ganga.
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Where to stay in Modara
Not every neighbourhood fits every trip — here's what each one is good for.
Modara is a working ward, not a hotel district. The Kelani Ganga mouth sets the tone at this end of Colombo, and the Colombo 15 streets carry few hotel doors, so most visitors book across the wider city and travel out to the ward instead. A guest room in Colombo 15 is an uncommon find.
Central Colombo is the practical base.
Few places to stay in Modara — most visitors book in Colombo nearby.
About Modara
What are the main landmarks in Modara?
The river mouth is the landmark here. Modara's entry lists no temple or museum of its own, and the feature that marks the ward on any map of Colombo is the Kelani Ganga arriving at the sea past the Colombo 15 streets. Everything else is working city.
Visitors come for the water's edge, not for a monument list.
What is the history of Modara?
Two names, one ward. Modara appears in the record as a municipal ward of Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, with Mutwal standing as the anglicised form of the same name, and the ward's number in the city's postal scheme is Colombo 15. Neither name comes with a date.
The names themselves carry what history the entry preserves.
Where is Modara?
Water sets the edge here: the mouth of the Kelani Ganga lies close by, and the ward's addresses run under Colombo 15, one number along from neighbouring Grandpass.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Modara?
Central Colombo: hotel rooms a short ride from the Colombo 15 streets.
More areas in Colombo
Updated September 2026