Sin: මිරිස්ස – Tam: மிரிஸ்ஸ mirissa

‘Chilli Point’  SP,  Sri Lanka

From Sin: miris, ‘chilli, pepper’.

This could easily be a place where chillies were grown and perhaps ground on the miris-gala, a stone mortar and pestle for grinding spices.

Mirissa is an important fishing area (tuna, mullet, seer fish, mackerel, butterfish), including bi-valve molluscs (oysters, clams, mussels), included in which is the Sin: mirissa, ‘cockle, whelk’ – another possible derivation.

Mirissa is also famous for its beach and spectacular coastline.

For related place names see Sri Lanka Place names.

 

Mirissa Coastline

Mirissa Beach: Aerial View        dronepicr