Kuchchaveli - beach temple Samudragiri Pichchamal Viharaya
Kuchchaveli is a fishing hamlet in Trincomalee District, situated 35 km (22 miles) north of Trincomalee and 21 km (13 miles) away from the popular Nilaveli Beach by road. Due to currents, the beach of Kuchchveli is not safe for swimming, except from the small cove formed by the rocky outcrop of the Samudragiri Pichchamal Viharaya.
There are no hotels at Kuchchaveli Beach, except from the high-end Uga Jungle Beach, which is situated halfway to Nilaveli, on a forested spit between the open sea and the lagoon of Periyakarachchi. This brackish backwater receives freshwater from a small river called Pankulam Aru. Only a few kilometers upstream are two ancient cave temple areas known as Bambaragala and Debaragala, which can be frequented by wild elephants and are very difficult to reach
There are no hotels at Kuchchaveli Beach, except from the high-end Uga Jungle Beach, which is situated halfway to Nilaveli, on a forested spit between the open sea and the lagoon of Periyakarachchi. This brackish backwater receives freshwater from a small river called Pankulam Aru. Only a few kilometers upstream are two ancient cave temple areas known as Bambaragala and Debaragala, which can be frequented by wild elephants and are very difficult to reach
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Easy to reach is one of the beach temples of Sri Lanka, namely Samudragiri Pichchamal Viharaya, which nestles on the said small promontory of Kuchchaveli. The outcrop is known as Karandi Malai in Tamil. Samudragiri, a Sanskrit term that literally translates to "sea-hill", refers to such temples on outcrops in general. Pichchamal is a flower. Legend has it that the national hero, King Dutugemunu, received these flowers from Kuchchaveli to be offered to the Ruwanweliseya in Anuradhapura. The Samudragiri Pichchamal temple has a restored ancient brick stupa, a Buddha statue from the Anuradhapura period, and a rock carving depicting 16 stupas on a square panel of four rows and four columns. This design is unique in Sri Lanka and could be of Mahayana origin. A Sanskrit inscription is dated to 6th century.
6 km (4 miles) north of Samudragiri Pichchamal Viharaya is another hill with a temple. This one is called Samudragiri Wana Senasuna. It's located close to the river mouth and lagoon of the Kunchikumban Aru. The summit is crowned with a new huge Buddha statue in seated position. The statue is the best 360 degree panoramic vantage point of Kuchchaveli. In particular, it offers the best view to the Pudawaikattu Bridge, which crosses the mouth of the abovementione Kunchikumban River. The bridge was opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 27th April 2010, one year after the end of the civil war. Prior to that ferries had to be taken to cross the river when driving on the B424 from Trincomalee to Pulmoddai.
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