Batticaloa: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous edit Next edit →Content deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 18:51, 4 November 2007 editHaemo (talk \| contribs)17,445 edits don't remove this notice; this is your only warning -- you are being held to a 1 RR on this article← Previous edit		Revision as of 22:28, 4 November 2007 edit undoSnowolfd4 (talk \| contribs)Pending changes reviewers8,810 editsm you'll be happy no know, no one own's wikipediaNext edit →
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{ambox
	\| type = notice
	\| image = ]
	\| text = '''This article is currently subject to ], following a ] consensus'''.<br /><small> Please see the discussion, and details on the ].</small><br/><small>Please do not remove this message until the restrictions have been removed.</small>
	}}
	]		]
	{{otheruses4\|the capital of the ]\|\|Batticaloa(disambiguation)}}		{{otheruses4\|the capital of the ]\|\|Batticaloa(disambiguation)}}

	'''Batticaloa''' (]: ]), Sinhalese:මඩකළපුව )is the capital of eastern province of Sri Lanka and is on the the Bay of Bengal.Also knows as ''The land of Singing Fish'' (''மீன் பாடும் தேனாடு'' in Tamil)		'''Batticaloa''' (]: ]), Sinhalese:මඩකළපුව )is the capital of eastern province of Sri Lanka and is on the the Bay of Bengal.Also knows as ''The land of Singing Fish'' (''மீன் பாடும் தேனாடு'' in Tamil)


	The modern Batticaloa city was established in the sixteenth century by the Portugese and later developed by British, into a city which was used to handle porting services at the time of British rule imposed in Sri Lanka.By the twentieth century, it had become an important administrative city,as the capital of the eastern province of Sri Lanka.		The modern Batticaloa city was established in the sixteenth century by the Portugese and later developed by British, into a city which was used to handle porting services at the time of British rule imposed in Sri Lanka.By the twentieth century, it had become an important administrative city,as the capital of the eastern province of Sri Lanka.

Revision as of 22:28, 4 November 2007

File:Batti.PNG

Batticaloa District.

This article is about the capital of the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. For other uses, see Batticaloa(disambiguation).

Batticaloa (Tamil: மட்டக்களப்பு), Sinhalese:මඩකළපුව )is the capital of eastern province of Sri Lanka and is on the the Bay of Bengal.Also knows as The land of Singing Fish (மீன் பாடும் தேனாடு in Tamil)

The modern Batticaloa city was established in the sixteenth century by the Portugese and later developed by British, into a city which was used to handle porting services at the time of British rule imposed in Sri Lanka.By the twentieth century, it had become an important administrative city,as the capital of the eastern province of Sri Lanka.

Located off the west coast of Sri Lanka the city has charmful beaches and many small ports for shippment services.It also one of thewell known city for housed a unique fish species called "Singing Fishes" which are capable of creating music notes. Batticaloa's economy has a broadly based in agriculture,fisheries,dairy production and handicrafts industries.

Names

The name Batticaloa is an etymologically derived from the Tamil name Matta-Kallppu which is adopted for Potugese as Batti-caloae and later named as Batticaloa by British.The word Matta-Kallppu in Tamil provides two meanings The Land of Confluence of heney reiver and Flat lagoon.

A widespread explanation of the origin of the traditional Tamil name Mattakkallappu holds that it was the name given by Mukkuva who were first immigirants from India to declare the end of the voyage of discovering a land in bay of bengal via Coromandel Coast as Flat Lagoon.The word Mattakkallppu consists Tamil words Mattu/மட்டு (honey) or Matta-derived from Mattam/மட்டம் (Flat) and geographical name Kallappu.

Later on when there inhebitation of Mukkuwa and the poets of Batticaloa given a name Mattu-Kallppu means the land surrened by the lagoon having enomoruos honey trees,which produced vast amount of honey.However Mattakkallppu becomes the name for this region.

Geography

Batticaloa is situated 314 Km (195 Miles) from Colombo on the east coast. It occupies the central Part of Eastern Sri Lanka and covers a land area of approximately 2633.1 Square Km.The District accounts for 3.8% of the Countries Total Land area.

In Batticaloa an ocean comes into the main land and the city it self surroundes by the water. This place is stands on a long, sandy spit of land pointing northward and separated from the mainland by a large brackish lagoon(களப்பு/Kallappu in Tamil) traverses through the district extending 73.5 km. to Verugal in the North from Batticaloa Town and also extending from the Town 35.2 km. from the South up to Thuraineelavanai.(near Mandur/மண்டூர் temple).The lagoon confluences with the Indian ocean at Muhaththuvaram (முகத்துவாரம்) near Amirthakallay Mamangeshwarar temple.

Ezuvan Karai & Paduvan Karai

The eastern part of the lagoon is called "Ezuvan Karai"(எழுவான் கரை) which literally means the land situated at the direction where sun rises. This area consists paddy fields where the popular Batticaloa rice or Eastern rice and coconuts cultivated in large scale.Also resoviours,tanks and channels constructed for irrigation can be seen. This is where the one of charmful beaches of the country is located.

The western part of the lagoon is called "Paduvan Karai"(படுவான் கரை) which literaly means the land situated at the direction where sun sets. This area consists poultry farms,tropical trees and the unique vareity(Vamparai/வம்பரை) of honey trees. These Vampari honey was gained enormous amount and it was used as a building material when Dutch fort was built in Pullianthivu

Climate

In the costal area, the climate is typically tropical with an average temperature of 25 degree Celsius. In the western region it can be bit cool with temperatures going down to 20oC at an altitude of 60 meters. Bright, sunny warm days are the rule and are common even during the height of the monsoon.

Modern Batticaloa City

The city has five main divisions.

Pullianthivu:Seat of many government department and offices, schools, banks religious places, General Hospital, Weber Stadium and Shops.Nowadays many NGO offices including ICRC, UN, UNICEF, WORLD VISION etc.are located also.
Koddamunai: Schools,Banks,Sri Lanka Telecom regional office for East,Shops and many government offices are located. Two bridges called Perya Palam and Puthuppalam are connects Pulianthivu island with Koddaminai land mass.
Arasady and Kallady:Housed for government and private industries,schools,hospitals and Eatern University Medical Faculty.Kallady Lady Manning bridge (the longest bridge in Sri Lanka) is connects Kallady and Arasay land masses.
Puthur:This is where the domestic airport of Batticaloa is located.

Educational institutions

In 19th century Swami Vipulananda Adigal, the eminent Ramakrishna Mission Swamiji who contributed so much for the promotion of Tamil Language and Hindu Culture. His contributions are very well renowned by the Tamil society in India and other countries.

The Eastern University of Sri Lanka, a significant educational institute in the whole eastern province of Sri Lanka, is located in Batticaloa. This is one of the universities in the country leading in its researches and excellence in teaching carrier which supports the countries growth in economical point of view.Eastern University has been played the key role in gathering information of the victims affected by Tsunami and helped other humanitarian organizations to be involved in relief activities during period of Tsunami devastation. Swami Vipulananda Isai Nadana Kalluri(Swamy Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies)a premier institution established in 1981 by the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Hindu Culture is now affiliated with Eastern University which are consisting varoius departments for Caranatic Music, Dance, Drama & Theatre Arts and Visual and Technological Arts.

It also houses St.Michael's College, St.Cecilias Convent, Hindu College, St.Vincent Girls High School and Methodist Central College,Shivananda Maha Vidyalayam which are the national schools located in the city’s. Michael's College is a well known school in the country which produced a large number of excellent basket ball and tennis players who have been awarded in local as well as international competitions. Schools of Batticaloa are also well known for its performance Eastern and Western based dramas, cultural events and Tamil Literature research.

Nowadays many Information Technology institutions which have arrieved in many parts of the district.

Economic activities

Rice and coconuts are the two staples of the district, and steamers trading round the island call regularly at the port. The lagoon is famous for its "singing fish," a unique varaity of fish which give forth musical notes. The average annual rainfall is 551 in.; the average temperature 80.4 °F. Prior to the civil war, there were large scale shrimp farms as well as fish and rice processing activities.Batticaloa was so called the "Paddy store of Sri Lanka".The largest rice mill in South Asia was located here and destructed in civil war.Currently the economic activities are related to trading due to the effect of the civil war.

Demography

Main article: Demography of Batticaloa district

Batticaloa is on the East coast, 314 km from Colombo. The population of 515,707 consists mainly of Tamils, Moors, Sinhalese, Euro-Asian Portuguese Burghers and indigenous Vedda population. Earlier census data show more Sinhalese than today; but their population, as well as the Muslim population has decreased with the rise of the LTTE which engaged in ethinic cleansing against non-Tamil groups. The civil war in Sri Lanka has also led to many Sinhalese, Muslims and even Tamils to move to the south.

Thus the 1981 census gave a figure of 10,646 Sinhalese, while the 2000 census records only about 150 Sinhalese. Similarly, the 76,000 Moors in 1981 has reduced to about 47,000 in the 2000 census. By contrast, the Tamil population of about 234,000 in 1981 has increased to about 353,000 by 2000.

History

Main article: History of Batticaloa

Arrival of Mutkkuvar

According to Mattakallappu Manmiyam (மட்டக்களப்பு மான்மியம்) Mukkuva or Mutkuhar are known as the first people migrated to this land and constructed seven villages in various areas. They habituated their people form India and established the kingdom of Mukkuva. The name of the villages and towns in Batticala still holds the historical evidence of the ancient Batticaloan people. When Mutkuhar intruded through through the salty water and reached the destination of their voyage at the forests situated around the lagoon .

Place in the current civil war

Main articles: Sri Lankan civil war, Karuna Amman, and TMVP

The Batticaloa is claimed by Tamils organization like the LTTE as part of their Tamil Homeland, Tamil Eelam. The city has witnesses countless murders, rapes, mass massacres and wholesale disappearance of civilians, especially after Black July and the subsequent Sri Lankan civil war.

Batticaloa is the primary focus of attention of Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, better known as Karuna Amman, a former LTTE commander who broke away from the main organization in 2004. Karuna operates his own political(Not yet recognised as a political party eventhough an application was submitted three years before) & military group, the Tamil-Eala Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal, TMVP. The conflit between Batticaloa Tamils led by Karuna and the LTTE has some parallels with the conflict between the Mukkavas and the Thamilars. The Muslims, another tamil-speaking group, and yet have suffered ethnic clensing in the hands of the LTTE, commencing with the murder of 140 Muslims during prayer The Muslims tend to be bilingual and are often in the cross-fire of the war. In a series of battles which began with the confrontation at Mavil aru (Mavil Oya) and Sampur (Somapura), Vaharai (Vihare) in August 2006, the Sri Lankan military in July 11 2007, ousted the Tamil Tigers from their last stronghold of Thoppigala (Batticaloa province) in Eastern Sri Lanka.

2004 Tsunami

The town was also one of the worst hit during the Tsunami of Dec 26, 2004. The water rose up to 4.7 meters ( 15 feet ) within 90 minutes of the beginning of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.