Chilaw

The town of Chilaw sits in the north western coast of Sri Lanka, some 100 kilometers from the International Airport. It’s known for its aquaculture, fisheries and coconut plantations.

The area has some lovely soft sandy beaches, lagoon, wetlands and Temples. Notably the Anawilundawa Wetland Sanctuary which is some 1,390 ha in area and consists of many interconnected manmade tanks to create an interesting and complex irrigation system. It’s popular with birdwatchers and nature lovers. The sanctuary includes mangrove and fresh water swamps.

The colourful, ancient and revered Munneswaram Hindu temple is said to have been in existence for over a 1000 CE. It’s a collective of 5 temples of which the main temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, with three other temples dedicated to important Hindi Gods/Goddess and a Buddhist temple.

Historic folklore associates the Temple with the popular Indian epic Ramayana, and its legendary hero king Rama. It’s well worth visiting.