Batticaloa district is divided into two sections by a lagoon. They are called Ezhuvan Karai or East coast and Paduvan Karai and West coast. Tamil people in these two sections differ in caste and are called Vellalar and Karaiyar, the latter being at the coast. Farmers live inland around the Kokaddich    Read more...

...Collapse

olai area. Kaththankudi is a suburb south of Batticaloa. Batticaloa mainly populated by Tamil Hindu's. Many ancient dams, irrigation tanks, and abandoned villages from ancient times exist in this region. This also near [jungle] areas.

Batticaloa is one of three warmest cities in Sri Lanka; the others are Trincomalee and Vavuniya. The dry season in Batticaloa runs from March to November and the monsoon season runs from December to February. Batticaloa is regarded as part of the "dry zone" of Sri Lanka.

The earliest historical artifacts are a dagaba and Chatra from the Ruhuna kingdom of King Kavantissa (1st century BC), found in the Dutch fort built in the seventeenth century CE. Many archeological sites dating to pre-Christian times have been found in this region. Thus Lankavihara, Roththei (Roththa) temple, Kinnaragala, Rahathgala (Shanthamalai), Veheragalkanda (Pulukunai), eluvamulla(Pullumuilai), and Taaththon Kovil, are some sites identified and listed by the Government archaeological survey. Many towns of the area show toponymic evidence, as well as evidence from stone inscriptions, of ancient sites related to 'Seruvavila' and other Buddhist shrines of the area. Thus "Eravur' is derived from "Serapura", where, on muting the 'S' and modifying 'pur' ? 'vur', i.e., standard transformations well accepted by linguists, we are lead to its current name: "Eravur" Although a large number of ancient historical sites have been identified, archaeological excavations and detailed studies have been very limited. A map of the buddhist sites in the eastern coastal belt near Batticaloa and extending towards Trincomalee has been given in a "Buddhist Times" publication.

...Collapse