Trincomalee, town and port, it is situated on the island’s northeastern coast. Some of Trincomalee's highlights include a spray of white-sand beaches, Konneswaram Temple, exceptional diving, voyages, the history and culture of Fort Frederick , and the chance to soak up a way of life characterized by Tamil Hindu culture,
King Ravana of the epic Ramayana and his mother are believed to have worshiped Shiva in the sacred lingam form at Koneswaram circa 2000 BCE
Trincomalee, ancient Gokanna town and port, formerly called Koddiyar (meaning “Fort by the River”) Bay—one of the world’s finest natural harbor.
Trincomalee was in early times a major settlement of Indo-Aryan immigrants. The Temple of a Thousand Columns (also called Koneswaram Temple), located at the extremity of the peninsula, came into use as a Hindu temple sometime in the 7th century or earlier. The first Europeans to occupy the town were the Portuguese in the 17th century; they razed the temple, using its stone to construct a fort. The port’s harbour changed hands repeatedly among the Dutch, French, and British until the British gained lasting possession of it in 1795. Trincomalee’s importance as a major British base was heightened after the Japanese ousted the British from Singapore in World War II; the Japanese bombed the town in 1942. The British continued to hold the harbor after Sri Lanka’s independence but relinquished it in 1957.
