Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kali Kovil has the most impressive, eye-catching
gopuram
of Trinco's many Hindu
temples.
Trincomalee Beaches
BEACH
Trinco's most famous beaches are at nearby Uppuveli and Nilaveli, but picturesque
Dutch
Bay
isn't bad. It's more a place for strolling, but swimming is possible (watch out for the
where you can also swim; reach it by strolling past
Manayaweli Pond
, aka Dhoby Tank,
where local washers do their laundry.
Inner Harbour
and
Back Bay
are too polluted for
swimming.
RAWANA & THE SWAYAMBHU LINGAM
The radio-mast hill opposite Swami Rock is considered to be the site of the mythical
palace of the 10-headed demon king Rawana. He's the Hindu antihero of the Ramayana,
infamous for kidnapping Rama's wife, Sita. Along with Sita, he supposedly carried to
Lanka the powerful Swayambhu Lingam, taken from a Tibetan mountaintop. Thislingam
became the object of enormous veneration. However, in 1624 the proselytising Catholic-
Portuguese destroyed the surrounding clifftop temple, tipping the whole structure,
lingamand all, into the ocean. It was only retrieved in 1962 by a scuba-diving team that in-
cluded writer Arthur C Clarke, who described the discovery inThe Reefs of Taprobane.
For cameraman Mike Wilson, who first spotted thelingam,the experience proved so pro-
found that he renounced his career and family to become Hindu Swami Siva Kalki (see
ht-
Sleeping
Most travellers (rightly) prefer the beachside accommodation in Uppuveli, just 6km north.
Sunshine Hotel
HOTEL
Rs1200-1800, with air-con Rs 4000-4500; )
