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| Kirinda - January 2005 |
Legend has it that in the 2nd century BC, a king by the name of Devanampiyatissa reigned over the west of the island from his capital at Kelaniya. Devanampiyatissa had a monk put to death and the gods were annoyed and caused the ocean to flood the land.
Overcome with remorse, the king decided to atone for his sacrilegious act by making a sacrifice of his eldest daughter to the sea. The princess was rescued near Kirinda. Eventually Kavantissa, the king of the Southern Region of Sri Lanka married her and named her Viharamahadevi. The popularity of this romantic legend makes Kirinda a focal point for pilgrims and tourists today.
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| Kirinda - January 2006 |
The modern Kirinda is a small port on the south coast of Sri Lanka about 270 km from Colombo, 10km south of Tissamaharama. Kirinda is a harbour town, with fishing as the main local occupation, populated by both Muslims and Sinhalese. The leader of the village is Mr. Jalaldeen, who is the principal of the Muslim school.
