TRINCOMALEE
Trincomalee is a port city on the east coast of Sri Lanka. The city is located on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours.Trincomalee is an anglicized version of the Tamil word Tirukonamalai (which means ``lord of the sacred hill``); it is a hill situated in the end of a natural land formation that resembles an arc. It is one of the main where Tamil is spoken at large scale. Historically referred to as Gokanna or Gokarna it has been a sea port that has played a major role in maritime and international trading history of Sri Lanka.
The Bay of Trincomalee provides security and is openly accessible to all types of sea crafts in all weathers. The beaches are used for recreational purposes such as surfing, scuba diving, fishing and whale watching. The city is renowned for housing the largest Dutch fort in Sri Lanka. It is home to major Sri Lankan naval bases and a Sri Lankan Air Force base.
Religious Significance
Trincomalee is considered a very sacred place by the Tamil and Sinhalese. Trincomalee and its surroundings have both Hindu and Buddhist sites of historical importance. These sites are sacred to the Hindus and Buddhists.
It has been said that King Mahasena destroyed the Sivan Temple and on top of it built a Mahayana temple. Despite the historical rivalries between the two ethnic groups initiated by kings such as Mahasena the Theravada Buddhists have maintained a remarkably peaceful relationship with the Hindus.
Trincomalee during the colonial era
Trincomalee strategic importance has shaped its recent history. The great European powers vied for mastery of the harbor. The Portuguese, the Dutch, the French, and the English, each held it in turn, and there have been many sea battles nearby.
Harbour
The Trincomalee boasts a record as the fifth largest natural harbor in the world In the map Trincomalee isn’t quite populated a lot and is less developed. However it is used as a commercial seaport.
Rare hot spring wells ; a major tourist attraction
The hot springs in Trincomalee is always a major tourist attraction. There are the seven hot springs of Kanniya on the way to Trincomalee. The seven springs are enclosed by a high wall, each of which is again enclosed and bound by smaller walls to make up wells. The use of the springs for bathing however is under strict control.
