Tam: புத்தளம் puttaḷam – Sin: පුත්තලම puttalama
‘New Saltpans’ NWP, Sri Lanka
From Tam: puththu/puttu, ‘new’; and Tam: aḷam, ‘salt pans’.
Puttalam is one of the largest salt production areas in Sri Lanka and the location of its first salt refinery.
When Ibn Battuta, the medieval Arab traveller, landed here he found the shore covered in cinnamon trees.
For related place names see Sri Lanka Place names.
