page_title: Thambiluvil
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: Thambiluvil / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: The inscription in the Thambiluvil estuary bridge
context_page_description: Thambiluvil is a coastal village situated in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It is 78 kilometres south of Batticaloa, on the east coast of the island. Thambiluvil is known for its preservation of the Tamil culture, especially the traditions of the ancient Mattakkalappu Desam. It is also known for Periya Kalappu, an area that has a lagoon and rice paddys.
context_section_description: Thambiluvil village covers an area of 5.2 square kilometres (2 sq mi), and has a population of 8,937 inhabitants, including 2,686 families. About 99.55% of the population are followers of Hindu Saivism, with a small Christian minority. The village is bordered by Thirukkovil village to the south and Thampaddai village to the north. The main industries are agriculture, animal husbandry, and fishing.
  Thambiluvil, along with its southern sister village, Thirukkovil, were significant in the history of Eastern Tamils. The villages were part of Mattakkalappu Desam (lit. Batticaloa Country, corresponding to present day Batticaloa and Ampara Districts) until 1961 when the new Ampara District, located at the southern part of old Batticaloa District, was formed. According to oral history, Thambiluvil, Thirukkovil, and their suburbs were primitive settlements of the Nāga people, tribes of old Ceylon referred to as "Nagarmunai". The administration of the Thirukkovil Sithira Velayutha Swami Temple is carried out by locals, based on the maternal clan "Kuty" system, which was traditionally called "Pandu Paravani", although this tradition has since been abandoned. The Thambiluvil Inscription was found here and is now kept in the temple.
caption: The inscription at Thambiluvil estuary dated 1902
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