Prince Vijaya
The history of Puttalam dates back to the arrival of Prince Vijaya, nearly 2,500 years ago, when his vessel washed ashore to "Thambapani" which is located north side of Puttalam lagoon. The name "Puttalam" may be a modification of the Tamil word "Uppuththalam", "Uppu" means salt and "Thalam" means salt production zone, which evolved into the name Puttalam.