Sin: බෙන්තොට – Sin: பெந்தொட bentoṭa
‘Bemthara Estuary’ -Town/Resort, SP, Sri Lanka
From Bemthara/Benthara Ganga, ‘Bentota River’; and Sin: tota, ‘ford, ferry, riverbank’.
Bentota sits at the mouth of the Benthara Ganga, its position marked historically by a small fort, a resthouse, a sanatorium, a bridge and then a beach resort.
Bella Woolf in 1914 wrote that it was “famous for honeymoons and oysters”.
These days its famous for Ayurveda, toddy, and its turtle hatchery where turtles are monitored and their nesting sites are protected.
For related place names see Sri Lanka Place names.
Turtle project Bentota Wouter Hagens
