Trincomalee (Tamil: திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai, Sinhala: තිරිකුණාමළය Trikuṇāmalaya) is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 (2007).citation needed The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay, Trincomalee is one of the main centers of Tamil speaking culture on the island. The city is home to the famous ancient Koneswaram temple alluded to in its historic Tamil name Thirukonamalai from which its anglicized name is derived, and has been a sea port that has played a major role in the maritime and international trading history of Sri Lanka. It is referred to as Gokanna in Pali1 or Gokarna in Sanskrit.
The Bay of Trincomalee's harbour is renowned for its large size and security; unlike every other in the Indian Sea, it is accessible to all types of craft in all weathers. The beaches are used for surfing, scuba diving, fishing and whale watching. The city also has the largest Dutch fort in Sri Lanka. It is home to major Sri Lankan naval bases and a Sri Lankan Air Force base.
Names and etymology
Trincomalee, is an anglicized form of the Tamil word "Tiru-kona-malai", meaning "Lord of the Sacred Hill"; a reference to the town's ancient Koneswaram temple.2 Thiru comes from the Tamil for "sacred", Kona means "Lord" or "Chief" in the language while Malai in Tamil means mountain or hill.234 Another meaning for the word Kona in Tamil is peak, and other definitions for Tirukonamalai include "sacred angular/peaked hill" or "three peaked hill".56 The town is situated on a hill at the end of a natural land formation that resembles an arc; the temple itself is built on Swami Rock, historically referred to as Kona-ma-malai, a cliff on the peninsula that drops 400 feet (120 metres) directly into the sea.7
Sanskrit texts, as well as an inscription unearthed by archeologists, call it Gokanna.8 The Vayu Purana refers to a Siva temple on Trikuta hill on the eastern coast of Lanka in the 3rd century.9 The Mahavamsa documents that the King Mahasena destroyed a Deva temple and built a Buddhist shrine in its stead to expiate for an earlier heresy on his part.10
Tamil texts, as well as excavated inscriptions detail the Saivite principalities that formed in Trincomalee in service of the Koneswaram temple by the medieval age. The South Indian Tamil literature Tevaram of Tiru-gnana Sambandar makes mention to the Siva temple in Trincomalee in the 6th century.11 Koneswaram and the royal administration of the city is documented in several late medieval texts such as the Konesar Kalvettu12 and the Dakshina Kailasa Puranam.13
History
Trincomalee which is a natural deep-water harbour that has attracted seafarers like Marco Polo, Ptolemy and Sea Traders from China and East Asia since ancient times. Trinco, as it is commonly called, has been a sea port since the days of the ancient Sri Lankan Kings. The earliest known reference to the port of Gokanna is found in the Mahavamsa stating that in 5th century BC, when King Vijaya who having failed to convince his brother to come to Sri Lanka as his successor, got down his youngest son Panduvasdeva, who landed at Gokanna and was subsequently enthroned at Upatissagama.
Trincomalee was used by Chola king Ilankesvarar Tevar as his eastern port in the 11th century and prospered under the Vannimai chieftancies of the Jaffna kingdom. It was often visited by Kings Singai Pararasasegaram and his successor King Cankili I.14 King Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan (1380-1410 CE) had the traditional history of the Koneswaram temple compiled as a chronicle in verse, entitled Dakshina Kailasa Puranam, known today as the Sthala Puranam of Koneshwaram Temple.15
King Parakramabahu I used Gokanna (Trincomalee) as his eastern port, to launch a successful invasion of Burma in the 12th Century.16
By the late 16th century, Jaffna had given minimal logistical access to its Trincomalee and Batticaloa seaports to Kandy to secure military advantages against its enemies; this was utilized by their influential European overlords to consolidate power in the region. In 1612, D. Hieronymo de Azevedo, after great difficulties due to torrential rains arrived at Trincomalee with a Portuguese contingent from Kandy. Here de Azevedo "was keen on building a fort" to the scope he called in aid from King Ethirimana Cinkam of Jaffna, but not seeing him arrive he abandoned the enterprise and he marched towards Jaffna.1718
The Danish arrived in Trincomalee to the end of 1619 with a first ship, called "Øresund" under the command of Roelant Crape, this small expedition, was the vanguard of another Danish fleet, this one composed by four vessels and three hundred soldiers, commanded by Ove Giedde, that reached the island in May 1620. They wanted to try their fortune in the Asian seas; the Danish expedition occupied Koneswaram temple and it was here that the Danes began the works for the fortification of the peninsula.19 In the year 1619, upon the Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom, all the territory of the kingdom of Jaffna, comprised Trincomalee and Batticaloa, was assigned to the spiritual cures of the Franciscans. This decision was taken by the bishop of Cochin, f Dom Sebastião de S. Pedro. Later, an other decree of the same bishop of Cochin dated 11 November 1622, tracing that one indicated in 1602, entrusted newly to the Jesuits the spiritual cure in the districts of Jaffna, Trincomalee and Batticaloa, giving to them possibility to build churches, to train the sacraments and to convert the souls. The Jesuits followed the Portuguese soldiers to Trincomalee and Batticaloa when they occupied the two localities.2021
Trincomalee had a Portuguese force during the reign of Kandyan King Rajasinghe II. Rajasinghe finally ended with an alliance with Dutch and the Dutch invaded Kottyar Bay Fort as their first attack. The fall of the Kottyar Bay Fort was the first nail in the Portuguese coffin. An English sea captain and historical chronicle writer named Robert Knox came ashore by chance near Trincomalee and surrendered to the Dissawa (official) of the King of Kandy in 1659. It joined the Coylot Vanni Country by the 18th century. Hence, it was an important trade city between Sri Lanka and the outside world, and one of the British Empire's most important ports in Asia during the second world war.
Trincomalee was occupied by the Dutch, and subsequently by French alternately, until the capture of the fort there by the British in 1795. Trincomalee was the first land to be captured by the British who fought and defeated the Dutch, who did not want to surrender Ceylon as directed by the Prince of Orange, who took refuge in London after being defeated by the French republicans under Napoleon. As such Trincomalee has served as an entrance to a western invader from Calcutta.
The British in Trincomalee
On January 8, 1782 the British captured the fort but the French recaptured it on August 29 of the same year. In 1783 the French ceded it to the British and subsequently Britain ceded it to the Dutch. In 1795 the British recaptured and held it until Sri Lanka's independence in 1948. The importance of Fort Fredrick was due to Trincomalee's natural harbour. Through Trincomalee, it was believed a strong naval force could secure control of India's Coromandel Coast.
Prior to the Second World War the British had built a large airfield to house a permanent RAF base, RAF China Bay and a fuel storage and support facilities for the Royal Navy and HMS Highflyer naval base based there. After the fall of Singapore, Trincomalee became the home port of the Eastern Fleet of the Royal Navy, and submarines of the Dutch Navy. The harbour and airfield were attacked by a Japanese carrier fleet in April 1942 in the Indian Ocean Raid
Until 1957, Trincomalee was an important base for the Royal Navy and was home to many British people who were employed by the British Admiralty. One of the places inhabited by the British was Fort Fredrick which is now occupied by the Sri Lankan Army. Some of the old buildings in the fort were used as residences, including one previously occupied by The Duke of Wellington. In the early 1950s The British Government built groups of bungalows within the Fort specifically for their employees.
These bungalows still exist and provide accommodation for soldiers of the Sri Lankan Army. One of the groups of bungalows was named Edinburgh Terrace. Children of the British residents attended a Royal Naval School which was part of the Naval Base.
Post independence
Sri Lankan naval ship at Trincomalee
The naval and air bases were take over by Sri Lanka in 1957, today SLNS Tissa and SLN Dockyard are used by the Sri Lankan Navy, while the Sri Lanka Air Force is based at SLAF China Bay. The Sri Lanka Army has its Security Forces Headquarters - East in Trincomalee.
Trincomalee War Cemetery, is one of the six commonwealth war cemeteries in Sri Lanka, it is maintained by Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence on behalf of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
The Navy Base is home to a naval museum called The Hoods Tower Museum. The name of the museum refers to a watchtower built on a hill commanding a 360-degree view of the harbor and the bay.
2004 tsunami
In the aftermath of the 2004 Asian Tsunami, Trincomalee was a focal point for relief efforts on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka.22
Historical sites
Trincomalee is sacred to both Sri Lankan Tamils and Sinhalese people. Trincomalee and its environs have many Hindu sites of historical importance. These sites are sacred to the Hindus and some Buddhists worship in these Hindu sites.
Even though Mahasena demolished the Sivan Temple and built a Mahayana Buddhist temple on the hilltop the Hindus of this area maintain a good peaceful relationships with the minority Sinhala Buddhists living in the area.
Hindu historical sites
The Koṇēsvaram temple, with a recorded history from the 3rd century CE and legends attesting to classical antiquity attracted pilgrims from all parts of India. The Koṇēsvaram shrine itself was demolished in 1622 by the Portuguese (who called it the Temple of a Thousand Columns), and who fortified the heights with the materials derived from its destruction. Some of the artefacts from the demolished temple were kept in the Lisbon Museum including the stone inscription by Kulakottan (Kunakottan). It has an emblem including two fish and is engraved with a prophesy stating that, after the 16th century, westerners with different eye colours will rule the country for 500 years and, at the end of it, rule will revert back to Vadugus. The Hindu temple was also documented in several late medieval texts such as the Konesar Kalvettu12 and the Dakshina Kailasa Puranam.13
The Dutch Fort
The entrance to the roadway leading to Koneswaram is actually the entrance to what used to be Fort Fredrick. The fort was built in 1623 by the Portuguese and captured in 1639 by the Dutch. It then went through a phase of dismantling and reconstruction and was attacked and captured by the French in 1672.
Harbour
Trincomalee's strategic importance has shaped its recent history. The great European powers vied for mastery of the harbour. The Portuguese, the Dutch, the French, and the English, each held it in turn, and there have been many sea battles nearby.
The harbour, the fifth largest natural harbour in the world, is overlooked by terraced highlands, its entrance is guarded by two headlands, and there is a carriage road along its northern and eastern edges.
Trincomalee's location, in a less well developed and sparsely populated area, has in the past hampered its own development. Nevertheless plans are under way to develop Trincomalee as a commercial seaport.
Beaches
The Trincomalee Beach in front of Chaaya Blu Resort, Trincomalee, in July 2010.
Trincomalee has some of the most picturesque and scenic beaches found in Sri Lanka, relatively unspoilt and clean. The area is famous for bathing and swimming, owing to the relative shallowness of the sea, allowing one to walk out over a hundred meters into the sea without the water reaching the chest. Whale watching is a common pastime in the seas off Trincomalee, and successful sightings are on the rise with the increase of tourism in the area.
Hot springs
There are the seven hot springs of Kanniya (Kal = stone; niya = land), on the road to Trincomalee. A high wall bounds the rectangular enclosure which includes all seven springs. Each is in turn enclosed by a dwarf wall to form a well. The water is warm, the temperature of each spring being slightly different. The use of the springs for bathing is controlled by the neighbouring Mari Amman Kovil, who holds the lease of the wellscitation needed.
Climate
Trincomalee features a tropical wet and dry climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city appears to feature a dry season from March through July and a wet season for the remainder of the year. Technically however, May which sees on average 70 mm of precipitation, is a wet season month. In essence, Trincomalee features two dry seasons. The city sees on average roughly 1650 mm of precipitation annually. Average temperatures in Trincomalee range from around 25 degrees Celsius in January to approximately 30 degrees Celsius during the warmest months of the year.
| Climate data for Trincomalee |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
| Record high °C (°F) |
33
(91) |
36
(97) |
38
(100) |
39
(102) |
40
(104) |
39
(102) |
38
(100) |
39
(102) |
39
(102) |
39
(102) |
36
(97) |
33
(91) |
40
(104) |
| Average high °C (°F) |
27
(81) |
28
(82) |
29
(84) |
32
(90) |
33
(91) |
33
(91) |
33
(91) |
33
(91) |
33
(91) |
31
(88) |
29
(84) |
27
(81) |
30.7
(87.3) |
| Average low °C (°F) |
24
(75) |
24
(75) |
24
(75) |
26
(79) |
26
(79) |
26
(79) |
26
(79) |
25
(77) |
25
(77) |
24
(75) |
24
(75) |
24
(75) |
24.8
(76.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) |
18
(64) |
19
(66) |
19
(66) |
19
(66) |
19
(66) |
22
(72) |
21
(70) |
21
(70) |
21
(70) |
21
(70) |
19
(66) |
19
(66) |
18
(64) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) |
173
(6.81) |
66
(2.6) |
48
(1.89) |
58
(2.28) |
69
(2.72) |
28
(1.1) |
51
(2.01) |
107
(4.21) |
107
(4.21) |
221
(8.7) |
358
(14.09) |
363
(14.29) |
1,649
(64.92) |
| Source: BBC Weather23 |
Transport and Communications
Road and Rail
Trincomalee is on the eastern end of the A6 and A12 highways in Sri Lanka, as well as the northern end of the A15.
The city is also served by Sri Lanka Railways. Trincomalee Railway Station is the terminus of Trincomalee-bound rail services, the majority of which originate from Colombo Fort.24 The station lies close to the northern coast and beaches of the city.
Broadcasting
German broadcaster Deutsche Welle operates a shortwave and mediumwave relay station in Trincomalee. It was not adversely affected by the Tsunami of 2004 because of the sea terrain around Trincomalee. Deutsche Welle started broadcasting from Trincomalee Relay Station in 1984.
Education
The Naval and Maritime Academy of the Sri Lanka Navy and the Air Force Academy of the Sri Lanka Air Force is situated in Trincomalee. It was first established in 1967, and gained university status in 2001.25 The Eastern University of Sri Lanka, which has its main campus in Batticaloa, also has a campus in Trincomalee.
List of Trincomalee schools
- T/Muhammadiya Muslim Viddiyalayam,Nilaveli
- T/An-Nooriya Maha Vid., Kuchchaveli
- Zahira College, Trincomalee
- Kinniya Central College
- St Joseph Collage, Trincomalee
- T/R.K.M.Sri Koneswara Hindu College
- Kinniya Muslim Girls College
- T/Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College
- T/St Mary's College
- Orr's Hill Vivekananda College
- T/Vikneswara Mahavidyalayam
- T/Sampoor Mahavidyalayam,Sampoor
- Sinhala central college at Trincomale town
- Kantale central college at Kantale town
- Al-Aqza College, Kinniya
- Naamahal Vidyalayam, Trincomalee
- Kalaimahal Vidyalayam, Trincomalee
- St Francis Xavier School
- T/Agrabodhi National College, Kanthale
- T/Nalanda College, China Bay
Maps
See also
References
- ^ Trincomalee, or Gokanna (Sri Lanka), Britannica
- ^ a b Sivaratnam, C (1964). An outline of the cultural history and principles of Hinduism (1 ed.). Colombo: Stangard Printers. OCLC 12240260. "Koneswaram temple. Tiru-Kona-malai, sacred mountain of Kona or Koneser, Iswara or Siva. The date of building the original temple is given as 1580, BCE. according to a Tamil poem by Kavi Raja Virothayan translated into English in 1831 by Simon Cassie Chitty..."
- ^ Herbert Keuneman, John Gottberg, Ravindralal Anthonis, Hans Hoefer (1985). Sri Lanka (3 ed.). Hong Kong: Hong Kong : Apa Productions (HK) ; [Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Distributed by] Prentice Hall, ©1985. pp. 214. ISBN 0138399441 9780138399443. OCLC 13501485.
- ^ Indrapala, Karthigesu (2007). The evolution of an ethnic identity: The Tamils in Sri Lanka C. 300 BCE to C. 1200 CE. Colombo: Vijitha Yapa. p. 324. ISBN 978-955-1266-72-1.
- ^ Taylor, Isaac (1843). Names and Their Histories: A Handbook of Historical Geography and Topographical Nomenclature. London: BiblioBazaar, LLC. pp. 308. ISBN 0559296681.
- ^ Room, Adrian (2006). Placenames of the world : origins and meanings of the names for 6,600 countries, cities, territories, natural features, and historic sites (2 ed.). London: Jefferson, N.C. ; London : McFarland & Co., cop. 2006.. pp. 382. ISBN 0786422483 9780786422487. OCLC 439732470.
- ^ E Greig, Doreen (1987). The reluctant colonists: Netherlanders abroad in the 17th and 18th centuries. U.S.A.: Assen, The Netherlands ; Wolfeboro, N.H., U.S.A.. pp. 227. OCLC 14069213.
- ^ Professor K. Indrapala, Early Tamil Settlements in Ceylon. PhD Thesis, University of London, 1965.page 331
- ^ H.N. Apte, Vayupurana, Chapter 48 verses 20-30, Poona, 1929
- ^ Mahavamsa. Chapter 35. Verses 40-47
- ^ Thirunanacamptanta Cuvamikal Arulicceyta Tevarattiruppatikankal, Saiva Siddhanta publishing works Ltd, Madras, 1927
- ^ a b S.Pathmanathan, The Kingdom of Jaffna, Colombo, 1978. pages 135-144
- ^ a b C.S. Navaratnam, A Short History of Hinduism in Ceylon, Jaffna, 1964. Pages 43-47
- ^ Pieris, Paulus Edward (1983). Ceylon, the Portuguese era: being a history of the island for the period, 1505-1658, Volume 1. 1. Sri Lanka: Tisara Prakasakayo. pp. 262. OCLC 12552979.
- ^ Navaratnam, C.S. (1964). A Short History of Hinduism in Ceylon. Jaffna. pp. 43–47. OCLC 6832704.
- ^ Sumana Saparamadu (4 March 2007). "Trincomalee". www.amazinglanka.com. http://www.amazinglanka.com/attractions/trincomalee/trincomalee.php. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ Perniola, V. “The Catholic church in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese period”, vol. II
- ^ Perniola, V. “The Catholic church in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese period”, vol. III
- ^ Perniola, V. “The Catholic church in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese period”, vol. II
- ^ Perniola, V. “The Catholic church in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese period”, vol. II
- ^ Perniola, V. “The Catholic church in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese period”, vol. III
- ^ http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=14006 Canadian Red Cross
- ^ "Average Conditions Trincomalee, Sri Lanka". BBC Weather. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT002830. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
- ^ "Sri Lanka Railways Timetable"
- ^ "Naval and Maritime Academy of SLN reaches Par Excellence". Sri Lanka Navy. http://www.navy.lk/index.php?id=725. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
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