Trinco & Its Harbor

Sri Lanka’s Eastern province stretches some 200 miles (about 320 Km) along the seacoast from the kokkilai Lagoon to Ruhunu (Yala) national park. It is justly famous for its beaches. Tourists centers have sprung up in the Nilaveli area, 10 miles north of Trincomalee, and around Kalkudha, 20 miles north of  Batticaloa. Less well known but pleasant beaches are found up and down the coast. Most of the East Coast is in sharp contrast to the luxury beach resorts, however except when the northeast monsoon makes its annual assault between October & January, it is a parched, dry area, with poor soil that requires constant attention. Tamil, Hindus and Muslims, many of them farmers & fishermen, forms the majority of the population. Reminders still abound of a devastating 1978 cyclone that complicated their already difficult lives. There are two major cities along the East-Coast Trincomalee, whose harbor is considered one of the best sheltered on earth, & Batticaloa, which like “Trinco” was a key Dutch & British colonial outpost.

In recent years, the Eastern Coast of Sri Lanka has been largely inaccessible due to ongoing civil strife and many of the seaside resorts and hotels have fallen to neglect. Normalcy is however, slowly returning to these areas along with the tourists.  It is likely that before long the eastern coast will once again become the focus of tourists from the world over.

TRINCO AND ITS HARBOR

Back in 1775, a teenaged midshipman named Horatio Nelson arrived in Trincomalee Harbor aboard the H.M.D Seahorse. Later, as admiral of the British Navy, he remembered it as “ the finest harbor in the world” indeed, with its 33 miles (53 Kilometers) of shoreline locked in by hills on three sides and protected by islands on the fourth, it is hard to argue. In size. Trincomalee is the world’s fifth largest natural harbor; but despite its potential, it has remained of secondary economic importance. “Trinco” as its friends call it, was well known so Sri Lanka’s inhabitant many centuries ago. This may have been the port where Mahinda landed on his way to Mihintale to convert the Anuradhapura Kingdom to Buddhist.

The first recorded European landing was made in 1617 by a Dutch –sponsored Danish vessel. The port switched hands back and forth between the Portuguese, Dutch , British and even French until 1795, when England finally secured a grip on Trincomalee as its first possession on the coast of Ceylon.

During the Second World War, Trincomalee harbor was the home base for the combines East Asian fleets of all allied powers. It remained a British, Royal navy base for many years after. The Japanese staged an all-out air assault on the harbor on April 8, 1942. But the allied forces having been previously alerted to the raid- had sent the fleet to sea, and only two ships, one a merchant vessel, were destroyed in the harbor by Japanese bombs and gunfire. About five idled with bombs. (it was rediscovered) in the 1970s by diver Rodney Jonklaas, who followed the tales of fisherman to locate its hulk, teeming with marine life) despite the setbacks, the British succeeded in turning the Japanese away.

Today Trinco is far removed from the sleepy market center it once was. Civil unrest has taken its toll. The visible military presence and uncertainty of terrorist attacks, have dispelled the town’s easy going character. Trinco occupies a finger of land that protects the harbor from the open sea.

Koneswaram Temple (Kovil) in Trincomalee

Koneswaram temple of Trincomalee or Thirukonamalai Konesar Temple – The Temple of the Thousand Pillars and Dakshina-Then Kailasam is a classical-medieval Hindu temple complex in Trincomalee, a Hindu religious pilgrimage centre in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Built significantly during the reign of the early Cholas and the Five Dravidians of the Early Pandyan Kingdom atop Konesar Malai, a promontory overlooking Trincomalee District, Gokarna bay and the Indian Ocean, its Pallava, Chola, Pandyan and Jaffna design reflect a continual Tamil Saivite influence in the Vannimai region from the classical period. The monument contains its main shrine to Shiva in the form Kona-Eiswara, shortened to Konesar and is a major place for Hindu pilgrimage, labelled the "Rome of the Gentiles/Pagans of the Orient". Connected at the mouth of the Mahavilli Ganga River to the footprint of Shiva at Sivan Oli Padam Malai at the river’s source, the temple symbolically crowns the flow of the Ganges River from Shiva’s head of Mount Kailash to his feet.

Developed from 205 BC, the original kovil combined key features to form its basic Dravidian temple plan, such as ii Cholan. Regarded as the greatest building of its age for its architecture, elaborate sculptural bas-relief ornamentation adorned a black granite megalith while its multiple gold plated gopuram towers were expanded in the medieval period. One of three major Hindu shrines on the promontory with a colossal gopuram tower, it stood distinctly on the cape’s highest eminence. The journey for pilgrims in the town begins at the opening of Konesar Road and follows a path through courtyard shrines of the compound to the deities Bhadrakali, Ganesh, Vishnu Thirumal, Surya, Raavana, Ambal-Shakti, Murukan and Shiva who presides at the promontory’s height. The annual Koneswaram Temple Their Thiruvilah festival involves the Bhadrakali temple of Trincomalee, the Pavanasam Theertham at the preserved Papanasuchunai holy well and the proximal Back Bay Sea (Theertham Karatkarai) surrounding Konesar Malai.

Koneswaram has many strong historical associations. The shrine is described in the Vayu Purana, the Konesar Kalvettu and Tevaram hymns by Sambandhar and Sundarar as a Paadal Petra Sthalam along with its west coast counterpart Ketheeswaram temple, Mannar, it is the birthplace of Patanjali, the compiler of the Yoga Sutras and was praised for its tradition by Arunagirinathar upon his visit. The Dakshina Kailasa Puranam and Manmiam works note it as Dakshina/Then Kailasam (Mount Kailash of the South) for its longitudinal position and pre-eminence, it lies directly east of Kudiramalai west coast Hindu port town, while it is the easternmost shrine of the five ancient Iswarams of Shiva on the island. Mentioned as a widely popular bay temple of the island in the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Yalpana Vaipava Malai, the Mattakallappu Manmiam confirms its sacred status for all Hindus. Kachiyappa Sivachariar’s Kanda Puranam compares the temple to Thillai Chidambaram Temple and Mount Kailash in Saivite esteem. Konesar Malai may have been the site where Yoga originated; some scholars have suggested that the worship of the almighty god Eiswara on the promontory is the most ancient form of worship existing.ts thousand pillared hall – “Aayiram Kaal Mandapam” – and the Jagati expanded by King Elara Manu Needh

The East Coast

The best know town in the East Coast of Ceylon is Trincomalee. It is as the mouth of the Mahaweli River. Ceylon’s longest river, and has, as mentioned earlier, one of the best natural harbors in the world. At the time it was captured by the British from the Dutch, Trincomalee was described as “ The Finest & Most Advantageous bay in the whole” if India in which is a whole fleet many safely ride & remain in tranquility to bay which is of such importance to the English that is assures their sovereignty over the west of India & places them in a position to defend their possession against all European powers. Admiral Lord Nelson who as a midshipman visited Trincomalee in the seventeen seventies, On H.M.S seahorse, called it “The Finest Harbor in the world”

Trincomalee was also the back-door through which the Dutch, Danes, French & British established contact with the Sinhalese king when the western coast was controlled by the Portuguese & Dutch. It was hear that the Dutchman de Boschower landed & remained to be a friend of king Senarath of Kandy. Returning to Europe & haring failed to get his own government to come to the aid of the Sinhalese in their efforts to over throw the Portuguese, he persuaded the Danes to send a naval mission to Ceylon, under the 24 years old ambassador Ove Gedde, which landed at Trincomalee. The Portuguese built a fort where the temple of a thousand columns stood, & held it for fourteen years.

The Dutch took Trincomalee in 1639, planning in what is still known as Dutch Bay. In 1672, the French occupied a couple of island in the bay. The Dutch recaptured the island &held Trincomalee for the next 110 years. The English emissary John Pybus landed in Kottiyar, south of Trincomalee, in 1762 & visited the king of the kandy. It was the first fort to fall to the English in 1795.

Trincomalee is 265.53km from Colombo by road, there is also a train service. Today many refer to go by air from Colombo. From Anuradhapura the town is 106.21km by a good road. At one time & especially during the second world war, Trincomalee was an important naval station. A good deal of Ceylon tea is now shipped through the Trincomalee harbor.

There are god hotel & rest houses. There are several island in the harbor, the chief of which, Sober Island, is a popular resort for picnics. Swami Rocks, 121.92m high, was once the site of a Hindu temple. Here may be seen a monument to Francina Van Rhode, the daughter of a Dutch official who tradition says, became engaged to an officer &, on his sailing away, flung herself in to the sea. The ancient “Koneswaram” temple has been recently resorted.

The main road & the railway track from “Polonnaruwa” join the east coast passing a group of small towns before reaching Batticaloa, the administrative capital of the Eastern in province. At Gal Oya (Gal Brook) junction (not to be confused with Gal Oya of the river valley scheme much further south) the railway branches to Trincomalee & Batticaloa. Before reaching “Chenkaladi” the road passes several interesting tanks or lakes. Particularly Vakaneri, with abundant bird life. About 48.28km island we passes Maha Oya (Maha Brook) 4.0km. From the Maha Oya , at Kanniyai, are the beast known hot springs in Ceylon. Same springs are so hot that you could boil an egg in the water. Others are cooler. From one cold water flows. A small cement canal has been built a anyone who cares to can mix cold with hot baths. The spring are named according to the legend, after kanniyai, the mother of the prehistoric king, Ravana.

There is a small “Veddha “ (Trapper) village near Maha Oya. Veddhas descendants of aborigines who live in the jungles, come to a fair at Maha Oya which is held on Wednesday, to sell honeys, & forest products.      

From the low ground around the “Vakaneri” tank rises impressively in the distance the towering mass of granite traditionally called “Dimbul-Gaha” but also named Gunner’s Quoin. It is said to have been the principal quarry which supplied the stone for many images. Pillars steps of the medieval capital of Polonnaruwa. There is an air service to Batticaloa. Whence “Valachenai”  & “Kalkudah” can be reached easily. Ceylon’s first paper factory is at Valachenai. Kalkudah, 4.02km from the “Gal Oya” railway junction, has excellent sea bathing & a good couple of hotels and rest house. It is the landing place for Batticaloa during the north east monsson..

Batticaloa itself is an old Dutch town with ruins of a fort close to the present rest house. Admiral Joris Van Spliberger landed here about in 1602 & made his way to Kandy via “Mahiyanganaya”. The Sinhalese name for Batticaloa is “ Madakalapuwa, or Muddy Lagoon”. It is muddy but when the moon is out one may bear the singing fish. The beat place to here them singing is about the centre of the lagoon bridge on the road to the south. A rescoring has been made from the bridge, six or seven different pitches being heard.

The railway ends at Batticaloa but the coastal road continues south passing small towns such as “Kalmunai” & “Akkaraipattu” until “Arugam Bay” is reached. The beaches of the east coast are broad & sunny. Arugam Bay itself, 109.43km south of Batticaloa, has a fine sea front & facilities for bathing while good sport is had in the forest that comes down to the sea. There is a very good circuits bungalow at Arugam Bay, especially built & equipped for tourists. 16.09km from Arugam Bay , if you take the road inland you come to “Lahugala” where every day large herds of elephants in their natural state may be seen.

From “Kalmunai” to “Gal Oya” valley multi-purpose scheme is but a short distance through a vast expanse of fertile paddy fields. The scheme controls a 99.78km river called the “ Gal Oya” with a catchment of 181300sq m receiving 190.5cm to 254cm for rain annually. It serves three main purposes, namely, irrigation, food control & the generation of hydroelectric power. The construction of the main Dam at “Inginiyagala” the spillway, the hydro-electric power station, & the first twelve miles of the principal channels that carry water from the reservoir was completed by an American firm of engineers, Morrison- Knudsen international co. in 1953. The reservar was filled to elevation 76.2m. in 1952 & was named “Senanayaka Samudraya after the man who promoted the scheme , the Hon’ble D.S Senanayaka, first prime minister of Ceylon. It has a water spread of 7270sqm, & at full supply level a short-line 96.56km long. It irrigates about 485625200sq m of land in the Gal Oya valley. Mr.J.S Kennady one time director of irrigation, was mainly responsible for the technical formulation of the scheme.

The country around has an ancient history. An inscribed pillar discovered near “Amparai”, the chief town in the valley, shoes that it was set up in the 10^th century in the regin of a king named “Duppula iv” (A.D 924-935) it names the district Digavapa mandala    & throws light on the area as it was a thousand five hundred years ago.

There are two good rest houses “Inginiyagala”, on the banks of the lake and “Amparai” ,a busy market town. There are thousands of colonist settlements scattered over the valley. The river valley board itself carries on certain industries, such as sugar plantations, a sugar mill, manufacture of potable spirits & boat-building. The hardy institute provides a training in various technical fields. At “Dighavapi” there is an ancient Buddhist temple which is being excavated & resorted by the archaeological department. The administrative centre is at “Uhana”, not far from the aerodrome.

The flight from Colombo takes less than an hour. One on the chief attraction of Gal Oya is the bird life in the lake which has been declared a protected area. A trip round the lake in a motor boat takes one near the jungle & it is sometimes possible to pick out elephant, wild buffalo & deer. On the eastern side of the valley there is a very good circuit bungalow at “Ekgal Aru” with lovely views.