Batticaloa

Batticaloa is flanked by the lovely beaches of Pasikuda and Kalkuda, which stand guard over 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 melodious sound heard there on moonlit 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 thought to be related to Medieval Portuguese. The Pasikuda beach's curled coves have a glossy edge similar to a serrated sickle

The granules in the white sand are so small that walking on them feels like walking on a warm wool blanket. A charming picture-perfect setting with sailing boats, coconut trees, and an azure sea, the longer, darker-hued Kalkuda Bay invites you to "come wade in" with a malevolent wink. Clean beaches and safe swimming and snorkeling are available in Pasikuda, Kalkuda, and Batticaloa. 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 Batticoloa 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 Shastras and Stupas dating back to the first century BC have been discovered during excavations at the site of the Dutch fort.

The Methodist Church, completed in 1838, competes for prominence with the old edifices 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 dancing. They go by names such as De Lima, Ragel, Berthelot, Andrado, and Sela. With its peculiar fusion of la Bamba and calypso, kafringa is a genre of music that is cherished by the Portuguese descendants of Batticaloa and is quite well-known throughout 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 affluent hotels will perform Kafringa. It is unquestionably worthwhile to visit Batticaloa when in Sri Lanka.