Pottuvil[a] (Tamil: பொத்துவில், romanized: Pottuvil; Sinhala: පොතුවිල, romanized: Potuvil) is a town in the Ampara District of Sri Lanka, located in the Eastern Province on the eastern coast of the Island. It is situated 4 km (2.5 mi) north of the popular tourist destination Arugam Bay.
Name
The romanized form Pothuwila and also Pothuvila are also common in English-language writings of Sinhalese writers,[1][2][3] and in many webpages.[4] Most sinhala newspaper articles and Facebook pages refer to "Pothuvila", පොතුවිල.[5][6][7]
History
This town is mentioned in the Pali Chronicle known as the Cūḷavaṃsa,[citation needed] and the Vanni Raajaavalaiya.[8] "Bodhivāla" is mentioned in the Cūḷavaṃsa (Chapter lvii, 54) in the context of the Ruhuna (see: Principality of Ruhuna campaigns of Vijayabahu I, 11th century CE).[citation needed] Archaeologists like Ellawala Medhananda Thero,[9] and historians[10] have discussed the place name while Linguists[11] recognize the change of "b" to "p" and the clear evolution of the modern name "Pothuvila" from Bodhivāla. "Vāla" means "water" (or also periphery) in compound usage (Pali Text Society dict., p 610)[12] as in "Aalavaala"(Sanskrit), i.e., basin of water found at the root of a tree. "vāla" is also a type of jasmine, Pavonia Odorata grown in temples.[citation needed] "Vaala" also means circumference or periphery (c.f., chakravaala), and "Bodhivaal" could simply mean the region enclosing a Bodhi (c.f. Devaala).[citation needed]
Agriculture is generally seen as the basic economic route of the town. In addition, the town's internal economy is strengthened through animal husbandry, coastal and inland fisheries, small and medium business, tourism, and trade. It is evident that there are plenty of natural resources here. Paddy fields, forests, beaches, mountains and springs are parts of the town's landscape. Paddy is the main crop in the area. However, vegetables, coconuts and fruits are also grown and contribute to the internal livelihood. At the same time, animal husbandry and fisheries also contribute significantly to the economy, and the tourism sector is seen as one of the most important and well-developed sources.
The area is said to be rich in soil as it is home to beaches, rivers and reservoirs. Coconut cultivation is being carried out on a small scale in the coastal villages of Komari, Manarasena, Victor Garden, Hitayapuram, Urani and Ullai. In addition, chilli is the main crop in vegetable cultivation.
The city is also known for its beaches and the world-famous Arugam Bay for waterboarding. The nearby beaches are also known as Ullai Beach.
Climate
Pottuvil has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Aw)[13] with warm to hot temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall. The climate is characterized by a distinct wet season from October to February. The wet season features cooler temperatures than the rest of the year.
