On the land Thanthamalai Sri Murugan Kovil is built today, spread over an area of 30 acres, ruins of the Rahatgala Monastery is more or less lost today. On the rocky area beyond a pond, 3 double platform buildings and ruins of other buildings have been discovered earlier and these structures had been dated to 7th -8th centuries.
Covered in rocky peaks, Kusalankanda (Kusalan Kanda, Tamil : Kusalanamalai) is surrounded by paddy fields today. This has been a Buddhist monastery in the past. However a Hindu Kovil has been built on these ruins today.
Mantheevu Island, a 94-acre landmass in the Batticaloa Lagoon, is a former leprosy isolation colony established in 1921. Once a self-contained settlement with hospitals and schools, it now sits in ruin. Despite its rich mangrove biodiversity, lingering social stigmas continue to isolate this enigmatic, bird-filled sanctuary.
Buffalo Island is the largest island inside the lagoon. It covers 4.5 square kilometers (1,115 acres) and has an elevation of about 5 meters. The island is fully covered in paddy fields and Canagaratnam reports that it had 7 man made ponds to collect rainwater during the north-east monsoon.
Located in Batticaloa, Sallitivu Islet is a biodiverse, uninhabited sanctuary connected to the mainland by a tidal sandbar. Encircled by coral reefs, this sensitive ecosystem features rare mangroves and endangered flora. This is a pristine coastal rest stop accessible during low tide.
The Bone Island was initially named Bone’s Island. This is a barren, uninhabited tiny island with a circumference of 504 meters and a area of 13,500 square meters (3.33 acres) pleasantly situated close the mouth of the Batticaloa lagoon.
Hidden deep within the jungles of Kumana, the Nelumpath Pokuna ruins reveal a forgotten monastery marked by ancient stupas, stone ponds, and a 2nd-century inscription of King Kanittha Tissa, offering a rare glimpse into the lost heritage of Gosagala Mahavihara.
Hidden deep within Batticaloa’s hinterland lies Viharathottam, the ruins of a once-magnificent Buddhist stupa—now a mound of broken bricks encroached by settlements. Once among the largest stupas in the East, it stands as a silent reminder of a forgotten Buddhist past struggling to survive neglect and erasure.
There are ruins of more than a dozen stupas, over 15 caves with drip ledges and 6 pathana’s are spread over three hundred fifty acres in within the ruins of Nelugala in Batticaloa district.
Built in 1924, Valaichena (Oddamavadi) Road-Rail Bridge was the last of such bridges to operate in Sri Lanka and was closed to vehicular traffic in 2010 after a new road bridge was built.
Sri Lanka is the only country in the world which commemorates the Dutch interval in her history (1656-1796) by founding a Dutch Period Museum.
Once a great monastery of Bikkhunis, The Mollikulam monastery stands abandoned, destroyed and desecrated amidst the jungles that covers the ruins today.
The Vannādi Stone Bridge in Kayankerni is a 150-meter-long, 2-meter-wide ancient structure spanning the Kayankerni Lagoon. Utilizing nearly 100 pillars, this Anurādhapura-period cart bridge connected local settlements to three nearby Pullavi jungle monasteries and adjacent ruins.
This Anuradhapura-period Buddhist site near Verugal Bridge features a central stupa and scattered structural remains. Despite mechanical quarrying and modern conversion into a kovil, artifacts like molded stones, pillar bases, and ancient pottery confirm its historical monastic identity.
Megalithic urn burials have been excavated at Kathiraveli Prehistoric Burial Grounds site. This included black and red ware pottery tentatively dated to the 3rd century BCE and iron tools.
Deep in the jungles between Thiriyaya and Pulmude, lies a exquisitely carved five hooded Naga Sculpture known as the ‘Five Hooded Cobra at Nagathambarani’ at a top of a hill called Valathamale completely out of place.
When it comes to great beaches, you will be spoiled for choice along the east coast of Sri Lanka. Pasikudah and Kalkudah are two great beach stretches just 30 kilometers away from Batticaloa.
Oluvil Lighthouse is the only lighthouse built after independence of Sri Lanka. It was built in 1999 along with the Potuvil fisheries harbour. The lighthouse is a 24 metre high white cylindrical tower with an lantern and gallery attached to a small equipment building. The tower was damaged during the 2004 tsunami but has been repaired again
Batticaloa Lighthouse is located few kilometers from the town of Batticaloa on the Bar Road. It takes approx 15-20 minutes drive from the town to the light house. This is round masonry tower with 5 windows, lantern and gallery, painted white.
The Fort in Batticaloa lies on a one of the many small islands of Batticaloa in the east coast of Sri Lanka. It was built by the Portuguese in 1628 after a Dutch fleet landed in Batticaloa in 1603 with a fleet of six ships to take part in a joint effort to oust the Portuguese from the island after an initial agreement with then King of Kandy. This infuriated the Portuguese who had a firm holding in the Island and built a small fort 1628.
