PETTAH BAZAAR

In Sinhala, 'pita kotuwa' refers to the exterior of the fort. Pettah is known for its huge and intricate street market, the 'bazaar', the main part of which is roughly bounded from west to east by Front Street and 5th Street, and from north to south by the Colombo Harbour and Prince Street, where the Dutch Museum is located. Driving into Pettah should be avoided at all costs.
On either side of Main Street, every profession has its own street. On 1st Cross Street, electrical appliances and cell phones are sold; on 2nd Cross Street and 3rd Cross Street, textile merchants compete for customers. Finally, at the end of the route, after passing 4th Cross Street and its food wholesalers, you will undoubtedly be enticed by the aromatic spices that escape from the stalls of 5th Cross Street and the covered market.

From here, you can bypass Old Town Hall and turn left onto Sea Street, where the jewellers bustle about, or go right and join the bus station amidst the indescribable crowds. You will then continue your visit of the Pettha market between 5th Cross Street and Bodhiraja Mawatta, under the covered hall of Old Town Hall Market. Then, in continuity, you will cross Fose Market until Olcott Mawatha, with exit at the corner of Central Bus Terminal (the red public buses), close to the railway station. On the other side of the boulevard, Mining Market, specialized in fruits and vegetables.