Batticaloa

Batticaloa is flanked by the lovely beaches of Pasikuda and Kalkuda, which are like two stunning consorts guarding a dowager queen. Batticaloa, which has a beautiful lagoon and a beach, is located on Sri Lanka’s east coast. It is said that the singing fish in the lovely lagoon produced the melodic melody heard there on moonlight nights. A fascinating aspect of culture is the tiny group of ex-Portuguese military veterans who continue to speak a rapidly disappearing Creole Portuguese dialect that is said to be related to Medieval Portuguese. The Pasikuda beach’s curled coves have a glossy edge similar to a serrated sickle.

The white sand’s small grains give you the impression that you are walking on a warm, woolly surface. A fanciful picture-perfect setting with sailing boats, coconut trees, and azure sea, the longer, darker-hued Kalkuda Bay invites you to “come wade in” with a sinister wink. Clean beaches and safe swimming and snorkeling are available at Pasikuda, Kalkuda, and Baticaloa. You will learn this when you visit Sri Lanka because of the country’s sparse tourist population. Here, in Sri Lanka, the Dutch set foot for the first time in 1602. Near the Batticaloa Lagoon, a Dutch fort erected in 1665 now houses government buildings. The government buildings are now enclosed by the fort’s 6 m-thick walls and continue to be known as the “Kachcheri,” a distorted pronunciation of the Dutch term for an office. Buddhist Shatras and Stupas dating back to the first century BC have been discovered during excavations at the site of the Dutch fort.

The Methodist Church, which was completed in 1838, competes for attention with the historic structures of St. Joseph’s Convent and St. Michael’s College. The most remarkable of the Hindu monuments is the temple of Anipandi Sitivigniswara Alayar, which features an elaborate tower entryway. Today’s Creole Portuguese-speaking descendants of Portuguese and other foreign mercenaries are assimilated carpenters, barbers, and fishermen. Despite their intermarriage, they have maintained traditions like celebrating Christmas and Kafringa dance. They go by names such De Lima, Ragel, Barthelot, Andrado, and Sela. With its peculiar blending of la bamba and calypso, kafringa is a kind of music that is loved by the Portuguese ancestors of Batticaloa and is highly popular with many in Sri Lanka. At several of the seaside hotels in Sri Lanka, you’ll hear it frequently over dinner. If asked, the musicians at Sri Lanka’s opulent hotels will perform Kafringa. It is unquestionably worthwhile to visit Baticaloa when in Sri Lanka.