DESTINATIONs
Trincomalee
Located in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka (on a peninsula), Trincomalee is renowned for its natural harbor. Trincomalee Bay is blessed with scenic beauty and its natural formation provides ideal security for ships and other sea vessels. The beach is famous for leisure activities, water sports and whale watching. With soft white sand Nilaveli is a beach that must be enjoyed by every traveler. Don’t be afraid to take the untrodden path.
Built by Portuguese in 1623, the Fort Frederick is a must visit site in Trincomalee. Trincomalee is a best spot in Sri Lanka for whale-watching. The whale-watching season starts in March and runs until August.
Trincomalee is home to the holy Koneswaram Kovil which is a picturesque Hindu temple located on the summit of a rocky promontory. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. The term Koneswaram means ‘the holy mountain of Shiva’ (Thiru – holy, Konam – the mountain where Lord Shiva reigns) in Tamil. According to an historic inscription found at the site, the temple was built in 1580 BC. As the legend has it, over 5000 years ago King Ravana and his mother were pious devotees of the Koneswaram Kovil. In 205 BC during the Chola reign the back then Chola King Elara developed the hindu Shrine and built a temple complex in Dravidian temple city style. This elaborate temple city consisted of many small shrines dedicated to other Hindu gods like Vishnu, Shakthi, Murukan and Ganesha. The Portuguese referred to Koneswaram as the Temple of Thousand Pillars – because of the famous hall built with thousand pillars.
Another must experience site in Trincomalee is Kanniya hot springs. According to the legends, the hot springs were created by Ravana (a legendary king of Sri Lanka who was believed to reign the country 5000 years ago). It is said that the king built the springs to honour his late mother.
