Nilaveli


Nilaveli is a coastal resort town and suburb of the Trincomalee District, Sri Lanka located 16 km northwest of the city of Trincomalee. A historically popular Tamil village and tourist destination of the district alongside the nearby Uppuveli, the numbers of visitors declined following the 2004 [Indian Ocean earthquake|2004 Indian Ocean tsunami] and Sri Lankan Civil War, but have risen again since 2010.
Pigeon Island National Park, one of the two marine national parks of the region is situated 1 km off the coast of Nilaveli, its many species of vegetation, coral and reef fish contributing to Nilaveli's rich biodiversity.

Etymology

Pronounced "Nilāveli", "Nilā" extolls the night's moon-shine over the "vèli", a Sri Lankan Tamil language term for land or open-space.

History

10th century inscription

The 10th century CE Tamil Nilaveli inscriptions mention the Koneswaram temple as having received a land grant in the Tamil country of one thousand seven hundred and ten acres of dry and wet land to meet its daily expenses - revealing the temple's role in providing various services to the local community by 900-1000 CE.