Batticaloa Lagoon
A long, narrow estuarine lagoon of about 11,500 hectares on the east coast, the largest of three in its district. The city sits on the land between its waters and the Indian Ocean, and it is famous for the singing fish heard on still nights.
- Where
- Batticaloa, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 7.5667, 81.6833
Get the Batticaloa Lagoon stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Batticaloa Lagoon. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Eastern Province volume with your photos and a note.
Near Batticaloa Lagoon
Batticaloa Fort 16 km
A small fort built by the Portuguese in 1628 on an island in the lagoon at Batticaloa. The Dutch captured it on 18 May 1638, and from 1795 it was used by the British.
Pasikudah 20 km
A resort town on the east coast, 35 km northwest of Batticaloa, known for a wide, shallow bay where calm water runs far out over the sand. Its neighbour is Kalkudah, and the town is home to a Mariamman temple.
Thirukkovil Temple 52 km
The chief Hindu temple of this east coast town, dedicated to Chitravelayudhar, once guardian deity of Mattakkalappu Desam and honoured as the principal temple of the Batticaloa region. Chola, Kotte and Kandyan kings all kept close ties with it.
Gal Oya National Park 52 km
A park founded in 1954 around Senanayake Samudraya, the largest reservoir in Sri Lanka, made by damming the Gal Oya at Inginiyagala in 1950. Its elephant herd can be seen all year, and boat safaris on the reservoir watch them cross between islands.
Muhudu Maha Vihara 79 km
A Buddhist temple by a wide beach at Pottuvil, believed to have been built more than 2,000 years ago by King Kavan Tissa of Ruhuna. Among its ruins are ancient stupas, stone Buddhas and two statues of old kings or gods.
Arugam Bay 81 km
A curving bay on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of the southeast coast, a historic settlement of the old Batticaloa territory. Its point break is one of the best known surf spots in Asia and draws surfers from around the world.
Somawathiya Chaitya 84 km
An ancient Buddhist stupa and temple in the plains near the border of the Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee districts. It is said to enshrine a tooth relic of the Buddha and draws pilgrims across the Mahaweli flood plain.
Hatadage 86 km
A relic shrine built by King Nissanka Malla to hold the Tooth Relic of the Buddha, in the sacred quadrangle of Polonnaruwa. Only its brick and stone walls survive, and in a chamber inside stand three Buddhas carved from granite.
More hidden gems in Eastern Province
Questions
Where is Batticaloa Lagoon?
Batticaloa Lagoon is in Batticaloa, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Batticaloa Fort (16 km), Pasikudah (20 km), Thirukkovil Temple (52 km).
How do I get the Batticaloa Lagoon stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Batticaloa Lagoon and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Eastern Province volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Batticaloa Lagoon before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Eastern Province volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.