Batticaloa

Batticaloa is Portuguese name. the original name being the Tamil Mattakalapu “ Muddy Swamp “ Mukkuwa named this place as ‘boundary of lagoon” and later it became as ‘flat land”. Batticaloa has a nick name “Land of the singing fish”. Mukkuwa are known as the first people migrated to this land and constructed seven villages in various area. The name of the villages in Batticaloa still holds the historical evidence. The Batticaloa fort was built by the Portuguese in 1628 and was the first to be captured by the Dutch still in good condition. Batticaloa is the trading center for rice and coconuts from nearby plantations. Passikudah is a coastal resort town located 35 kilometers of Batticaloa.