Puttalam

WHAT

It is a big town famous for energy production, salt, coconut cultivation and fishing and it has one of the largest lagoons in the country. The highlights of the district are temples, Wilpattu National Park, dolphin watching and exploring beautiful coasts. History of Puttalam goes back to the Prince Vijaya’s arrival, about 2500 years ago, when he reached a point on the northern side of Puttalam lagoon – Thambapani. It is believed that the name Puttalam derives from the Tamil word Uppuththalam, Uppu meaning salt and Thalam meaning salt production zone. Puttalam was one of the initial eight colonies that Arabian traders formed here in the 7th century. The area experienced many foreign invasions because of the seaports Kalpitiya, Chilaw and Puttalam. The impact of the invaders and the Sri Lankan kings is seen today as there are several landmarks reminding us of the history of Puttalam.