Batticaloa – The land of singing fish

Aditi Ghosh

Batticaloa, on the spectacular east coast of Sri Lanka, has its captivating charm. The Kallady Bridge which crosses the Batticaloa Lagoon (part of the Colombo- Batticaloa Highway) is the oldest and longest iron bridge in Sri Lanka. The legend of the ‘Singing Fish’ started here. The musical sound rising from the water (sounds are similar to that of a plucked guitar string) can be heard on full moon nights.

Some state that a species of marine life is responsible for this noise while others state that it arises from the water flowing between the boulders on the lagoon. I learn that it is not heard anymore ( one colleague jokingly said we have eaten all the singing fish) ….. however, you can still hear the singing fishermen fishing in the lagoon.

The writer is a globe traveller