Trincomalee

[aragon]

Trincomalee-5th largest natural harbour in the world

Trinco is a port city on the east coast of Sri Lanka, it houses the 5th largest natural harbour in the world and is located about 110 miles northeast of Kandy. The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. It is one of the main centers of Tamil speaking culture on the island. Historically referred to as Gokanna or Gokarna it has been a sea port that has played a major role in maritime and international trading history of Sri Lanka.

The Bay of Trincomalee's harbour is renowned for its large size and security; unlike every other in the Indian Ocean, it is accessible to all types of craft in all weathers. The beaches are used for surfing, scuba diving, fishing and whale watching. The city also has the largest Dutch fort in Sri Lanka. It is home to major Sri Lankan naval bases and a Sri Lankan Air Force base. Described by Admiral Horation Nelson of the British Navy as the "finest harbour in the world".






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[aragon]

The Harbour


The great European powers vied with one another for the mastery of the harbor. The Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the English, each held it in turn, and many a sea fight was staged off the cliffs of Trincomalee. Of all harbors in the East, it can be said that it is largely today as Nature endowed it.

Trincomalee was the British naval headquarters in the Pacific theater and had an airfield from which U.S. planes operated against the Japanese in Myanmar and Malaya. Trincomalee was later attacked by Japanese bomber planes in 1942. A British naval base remained at Trincomalee until 1957, when Sri Lanka abrogated its defense agreement with Britain and took over the base.

1910

1950's (note the oil tanks and the runway, used as Air Force Base now)

A British Navy Frigate was named HMS Trincomalee in the 19th Century signalling the importance of the port to the British, it is the oldest British warship still to be afloat​

 

[fazil00789]

nice post bro keep it up.............

 

[Planthis]

Depth is more dan 1km. 2nd best and deepest natural harbour in the world. 1st is sydney.
Our mother lanka is pretty much amazing and unique, right?

 

[aragon]

The Temple of a Thousand Pillars

(The much newer temple on the same site built in the 1960's after a lapse of some 380 years)

On the summit of the Rock, known as the Swami Rock or the Three Swami Rock, was the “temple of unusual size and splendor, renowned through the whole of India,” the temple which was razed to the ground and despoiled by the Portuguese in 1624.

It was New Years day of 1624 in Thirukoneswaram. The temple had one thousand pillars and, at that time, esteemed to be one of the richest temples in Southeast Asia. It had in its possession large amounts of gold, pearls, precious stones, and silk, which has been endowed over one thousand years.

 

[aragon]

New Years Morning 1624, the temple was decorated and well lit with eleven oil lamps for the New Year's worship and pooja (form of worship) observances. After the pooja, the customary festival procession proceeded out to the town with a crowd of worshippers.

At this time, Portuguese emissaries and soldiers gained entrance into the temple disguised as Hindu priests. They overpowered the few temple priests and workers who remained in the temple and looted the temple. All the possessions, treasured over a thousand years were carried away.

In the confusion, the few devotees, who escaped, carried away temple belongings they were able to take. These were the articles that were unearthed several years after in 1950 and now form part of the newly built Thirukoneswaram temple. The deities taken in procession were beyond the reach of the vandals and were placed in safety at other temples.

Towards the evening, Portuguese Commander Constantine de Sa delivered an ultimatum to the temple priest. It said that everything valuable in the temple should be surrendered to him at dawn of the following day as he will fire cannons from the ship at the Trincomalee sea and blast the temple down.

(Devotees at Swami Rock in 1935, before the new temple was built)​

 

[aragon]

Unfortunately they could not save the temple and of great importance was a monument dedicated to God Shiva that was left behind in the temple, called the "Shiva Lingam", a long spherical monument.

Like many other objects that were recovered by divers in the early 20th century, the "Lingam" was recovered by Mike Wilson who discovered it by accident while shooting a film.

It was returned to the temple, it is one of the few remaining 69 "Lingam's" in the Sub Continent.

The destruction was so overwhelming that objects hurriedly hidden, or submerged under the debris or consigned to the sea, continue to be revealed from time to time. A total of 7 Statues depicting Lord Shiva and his wife Parvati have been found by undersea explorers, all have been returned to the temple. Undersea explorers have recently taken submarine photographs of the place, and incidentally discovered the remains of the ancient Hindu temple deep down near the seabed.​

 

[aragon]

One striking thing that stands out in some of the photos of Swami Rock or Fredrick Fort is the stone monument shown below:

There are many theories regarding it which brings us to the next bit of history in Trinco
​

 

[aragon]

Fort Fredrick

The Portuguese built a fort at Trincomalee in 1624, at the base of a high rock, which is called Swami Rock today.
The stones from the "Temple of a thousand pillars" were used to build the fort.
In 1639 the Dutch attacked it with a fleet of 12 ships under Admiral Westerwold, and captured it. The Portuguese fort was rebuilt but later abandoned. Only in 1665 a new fort was built in its place, when it became clear the British and the French were interested in this east coast harbour. In 1672, the year when the Dutch Republic was attacked by France, Britain, and two German states, the French captured Trincomalee.

 

[Planthis]

thanks for sharin ARAGON brother

 

[aragon]

At the end of the 18th century Trincomalee again experienced a quick and interesting change of occupiers. Early in January 1782 the fort was captured by the British. During the same year the French repeatedly attacked the British at Trincomalee, and in August they managed to capture the fort. At the Peace of Paris in 1784 the French returned Trincomalee to the VOC (Dutch East India Company) again.

Twelve years later, in 1795, the British arrived in Ceylon again for their final takeover. The first fort they chose to capture was Trincomalee.

The Trincomalee fort however is in good shape. It is occupied by the army and air force and although you are allowed to visit it, you cannot take photographs. It covers a large area on a hilly outcrop, surrounded by high walls. Inside are various buildings and barracks, some of which date from the British time, and a parade ground. Everywhere are large trees which throw their shade on the lanes that sometimes pass old tombs with faded inscriptions among the dry bushes.

Circled in red is Fort Fredrick in Swami Rock and in Black is where the naval base used by the British is located, now used by Sri Lanka Navy as Eastern HQ,

(seen in the map circled in purple, airfield and oil tanks used by Allied troops in WWII, later bombed by the Japanese on April 8 1942, now used by Sri Lanka Air Force as a Major base)

Sorry about the old photos...​

 

[aragon]

The Beaches

 

[aragon]

nice post bro keep it up.............

Ela...

 

[funkoluwa]

nice post machan awesome info

 

[aragon]

Depth is more dan 1km. 2nd best and deepest natural harbour in the world. 1st is sydney.
Our mother lanka is pretty much amazing and unique, right?

Aniwa.....Our mother lanka is pretty much amazing and unique

 

[aragon]

thanks for sharin ARAGON brother

welcome machan...

 

[koondeGoda]

Thanx bro should visit trinco soon
Added++

 

[aragon]

nice post machan awesome info

Thnkz...

 

[aragon]

Thanx bro should visit trinco soon
Added++

Ow machan, dan ithin awlak nane e patthe.....
Thnkz for da +++

 

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