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Arugam Bay அறுகம் குடா ආරුගම් බොක්ක
Town
Beach of Arugam Bay
Nickname: Arugam Kudah
Arugam Bay
Coordinates: 6°51′N 81°50′E / 6.850°N 81.833°E / 6.850; 81.833
Country	Sri Lanka
Province	Eastern
District	Ampara
Secretariat	Pottuvil

Arugam Bay (Template:Lang-ta), known locally as "Arugam Kudah", is situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka's southeast coast, and a historic settlement of the ancient Batticaloa Territory (Mattakallappu Desam). Arugam Kudah's literal Tamil translation is "Bay of Cynodon dactylon".

Geography

The bay is located 117 kilometres (73 mi) south of Batticaloa, 320 kilometres (200 mi) due east of Colombo, and approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the market town of Pottuvil.

The nearby (4 kilometres (2.5 mi)) Muslim village of Pottuvil is the center of commerce and transportation while tourist accommodations lie along the beach to the south of Pottuvil Arugam Bay (4 kilometres (2.5 mi)) is also the gateway and the only road access to the Yala East National Park. In 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) distance there is Pasarichenai Beach. This area is known as Kumana (44 kilometres (27 mi)), to be reached via the Tamil/Sinhalese settlement of Panama (Sri Lanka) (17 kilometres (11 mi)) and the Tamil shires at Okanda (32 kilometres (20 mi)). The local area is home to a number of elephants, often travelling between Lahugala and Kumana national parks.

Demographics

The main settlement in the area, known locally as Ullae, is predominantly Muslim; however, there is a significant Sri Lankan Tamil and Sinhala population to the south of the village, as well as a number of international expatriates, largely from Europe and Australia.

Economy

While fishing has traditionally dominated the local economy, tourism has grown rapidly in the area in recent years. Tourism in Arugam Bay is dominated by surf tourism, thanks to several quality breaks in the area; however, tourists are also attracted by the local beaches, lagoons, historic temples and the nearby Kumana National Park.

Much of the bay, as well as the neighbouring town of Pottuvil, were destroyed in the 2004 Tsunami.

Conflict between fishing and tourism

During the period of fighting between the central government and Tamil separatists tourism was fairly low key and the hotels often bought the catch of the fishermen. As a result of the peace, tourism expanded and many fishing people who had moved to areas less touched by the conflict returned. Hotel owners began to complain about the smell of drying fish and how the fishing huts blocked their view. In the aftermath of the Tsunami fishing people were forbidden to return, officially on the grounds of safety but allegedly as a result of pressure from the hotel owners.

Israeli tourism

Arugam Bay is a popular destination for Israeli tourists, with many eateries, spas and other retail outlets displaying signs in Hebrew. Israeli tourists have set up a Chabad house in the area.

Surfing

Arugam Bay is a popular surfing location and is also the only international surf competition venue in Sri Lanka. It is also rated as one of the top ten surf destinations in the world, known as Ofek's main point. It has also hosted most of the international surfing competitions in Sri Lanka since 2004. It also hosted the So Sri Lanka Pro 2019.

References

1. Robinson, Lyn (2008). "Post-disaster community tourism recovery: the tsunami and Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka". Disasters. 32 (4): 631–645. doi:10.1111/j.1467-7717.2008.01058.x. PMID 18479472.
2. Ratnatunga, Kavan (9 January 2005). "Lost to the sea". lakdiva.org.lk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
3. "Surviving the Tsunami at Arugam Bay". Thuppahi's Blog. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
4. The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein, p. 386
5. The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein, pp. 386–7
6. The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein, pp. 388–97
7. Srinivasan, Meera (23 October 2024). "As Sri Lanka expresses solidarity with Palestine, Israeli tourists dominate island's scenic Arugam Bay". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
8. Klanten, Robert; Gartside, Luke; Flanagan, Rosie, eds. (2022). The Surf Atlas: Iconic Waves and Surfing Hinterlands. Gestalten. ISBN 9783967040586.
9. "Surfing in Arugam Bay". Lakpura LLC. 1 January 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
10. "Arugam Bay World Surf League shows Sri Lanka, a safe destination". Economy Next. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
11. "So Sri Lanka Pro 2019 is set to run from 25 Sep to 29 Sep". Colombo Page. Retrieved 23 September 2019.

External links

• Bodies of water of Ampara District
• Seaside resorts in Sri Lanka