The Hindu Konesvaram temple attracted pilgrims from all parts of India The Koṇēsvaram shrine itself was demolished in 1622 by the Portuguese (who called it the Temple of a Thousand Columns), and who fortified the heights with the materials derived from its destruction. All that remains of the original temple is one part of a column. Some of the artefacts from the demolished temple were kept in the Lisbon Museum including the stone inscription by Kulakottan   The Hindu temple was also documented in several late medieval texts such as the Konesar Kalvettu and the Dakshina Kailasa Puranam.[13]

Swami Rock drops 426 ft into the Bay of Bengal and is known as 'Lover's Leap' Lover's Leap is located on top of Swami Rock, next to the Koneswaram temple. This vantage point commemorates the tragic end of a love affair. This point is situated at an abrupt end of a rocky cliff that is 350 feet above sea level.  The daughter of an Old Dutch general named Francina Van Rhede who attempted to commit suicide when her lover abandoned her and sailed back to Europe, is the legend behind this famous site

The Dutch Fort. The entrance to the roadway leading to Koneswaram is actually the entrance to what used to be Fort Fredrick. The fort was built in 1623 by the Portuguese and captured in 1639 by the Dutch. It then went through a phase of dismantling and reconstruction and was attacked and captured by the French in 1672.

During the Second World War, Trincomalee harbour was the home base for the combined East Asian fleets of all the Allied powers. It remained a British royal base for many years after. The Japanese staged an all out air assault on the harbour on April 8 1942

Today the historic Fort Fredrick, built in 1803 and named after Fredrick Duke of York, stands as a monument to the glory and tragedy of Trincomalee. Near the main gate of the Fort, a stone slab has been engraved and fixed on the wall. A pair of fish, symbol of the South Indian Pandyan Kingdom, appears on it.