Eastern Province

Eastern Province

* About  

       The Eastern Province is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils.

* The best places to walk in the Eastern Province

• Arugam Bay Beach

• Thirukoneswaram Kovil 

• Nilaveli Beach 

• Fort Frederick 

• Uppuveli Beach

• Pasikuda Beach

• Dutch Bay Beach

• Kalkudah Beach

• Shri Badrakali Amman Hindu kovil

• Kanniya Hot Water Springs

• Lahugala Kitulana National Park

• Trincomalee

• Batticaloa

History of Eastern Provinces

         Provinces have existed since the 19th century, but there was no legal status until the 13th amendment of the Constitution of Sri Lanka in 1987 established Provincial Councils. Between 1988 and 2006, the province was temporarily merged with the Northern Province to form the North Eastern Province.

      Trincomalee History is Trinco, as it is commonly called, has been a seaport since 400 BCE. The earliest epigraphical inscriptions found in Trincomalee city are in the Tamil language. The Tamil settlement at the port of Trincomalee was one of the oldest settlements on the island. 

Trincomalee had derived its name from the anglicized version of the old Tamil word,‘ Thiru- kona-malai ‘ meaning ‘Lord of the Sacred Hill’. it is apparent that over the ages Trincomalee had been closely associated with the historic Kovil of Koneswaram built around 1,580 BC.

Furthermore since 400 BC, it had been the port of call of seafarers, traders and pilgrims from countries ranging from Europe, the Middle- East, Africa, China, East Asia and Australia. Acclaimed as being the third largest deep sea harbor in the world, Trinccomalee has in more modern times been the target of the Portugese, Dutch, British and even the Japanese.

In one of earliest maps of the world drawn by Ptolemy who was a renowned mathematician, astrologer , astronomer, geographer and surprisingly was also music theorist, our island was included. It has been revealed that this map had been based on his book titled ‘Geography’ or more correctly ‘Geographica’ which he had written in 150 AD and it was on this map that he had indicated our island naming it as ‘ Taprobana’. He had further indicated other prominent cities such as Anuradhapura – which he referred to as Anourogammoir and Manthai – referring to it as Magama Port and Trincomalee which he had referred to it as ‘Gokarana Bay.’ This name was derived from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘Cows Ear.’ (Learn more...)

     Batticaloa History of It was captured by the Portuguese in 1622, by the Dutch in 1638, and by the British in 1796. The region has been a centre of Tamil separatist activity, and during the 1980s the town was held by Tamil rebels until it was retaken in 1991 by government troops.

Mattakallappu Manmiyam refers Mukkuva or Mutkuhar are known as the first people migrated to this land and constructed seven villages in various areas. They immigrated their people from India and established the kingdom of Mukkuva. The name of the villages and towns in Batticaloa still holds the historical evidence of the ancient batticaloan people. When Mutkuhar intruded through the salty water and reached the destination of their voyage at the forests situated around the lagoon. When they finished. The name given by the Mukkuva was "Kallpu-Mattam" which literally means "boundary of lagoon". Later it was called "Matta-Kallappu" which indicates the destination of Mukkuva's voyage and the water is flat.(Learn more...)

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