Avissawella is approximately 48.1 km road distance east of the capital Colombo. It is also known as Seethawakapura.

This area was once known as Seethawaka, and the name is still used to identify a section of town today. Folklore associates this name with “Seetha Devi” of Ramayana fame. Because of these stories, the Seethawaka legend has grown richer. The Seethawaka river, a tributary of the Kelani river, runs through the city’s outskirts. With the establishment of the Seethawaka Export Promotion Zone (industrial zone) in the late 1990s, the city is rapidly transforming into an industrial city. Following the establishment of this Zone, the population of Avissawella increased rapidly due to migrant workers and the resulting increase in residents.

Avissawella has few tourist attractions. Kumari Ella Falls is very famous since it is only few kilometres from the capital city.

As the capital of the Sitawaka Kingdom from 1521 to 1593, this town has a rich and proud history in the annals of its military exploits against the Portuguese invaders. During this time, Seethawaka was ruled by King Mayadunne and later by his son Rajasinghe the First. There is a legend that Rajasinghe committed suicide, but some historians dismiss this as a jealousy-fueled fabrication.