Francis P Welangoda, presenting an article entitled “Ceylon Then / Sri Lanka Now!”
HISTORY OF TRINCOMALEE.: Trincomalee had derived its name from the anglicized version of the old Tamil word,‘ Thiru- kona-malai ‘ meaning ‘Lord of the Sacred Hill’. it is apparent that over the ages Trincomalee had been closely associated with the historic Kovil of Koneswaram built around 1,580 BC.
During the Portuguese era in Sri Lanka, which saw them gain influence on the eastern coast by the late 16th century, the Portuguese estsblished Fort Fedrick in 1624, using the stone from the demolished Koneshwaram temple. The city was later occupied by other European powers, but the fort remained a crucial strategic point, changing hands between the Danish, Dutch, French, and finally the British by 1795.
