Durave or Durava or Durawa are a southern coastal Sinhalese caste in Sri Lanka. They are descended from post 15th century migrants from South India.[1]
Many were converted to Catholicism soon after the arrival of Portuguese colonials in 1505 CE. They along with other southern Sinhalese castes such as Karave and Salagama have played an important role in the historically left political and right parties. They are mostly Theravada Buddhists today and were instrumental in the revival of Buddhism during the British colonial period. The un-Buddhistic practice of caste discrimination introduced into the Sangha by the Siyam Nikaya in the late 18th century has been overcome by patronising the Amarapura Nikaya and the Ramanna Nikayas. Sitinamaluwe Dhammajoti (Durawa) was the last nongovigama monk to receive upasampada before the 1764 conspiracy.[2]