Pottuvil: History
This town is mentioned in the Pali Chronicle known as the Cūḷavaṃsa, and the Vanni Raajaavalaiya. "Bodhivāla" is mentioned in the Cūḷavaṃsa (Chapter lvii, 54) in the context of the Principality of Ruhuna campaigns of Vijayabahu I. Archaeologists like Ellawala Medhananda Thero, and historians have discussed the place name while linguists recognize the change of "b" to "p" and the clear evolution of the modern name "Pothuvila" from Bodhivāla. "Vāla" means "water" (or also periphery) in compound usage as in "Aalavaala" (Sanskrit), a basin of water found at the root of a tree. "vāla" is also a type of jasmine, Pavonia odorata grown in temples.
Pottuvil was affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The town's population in 2007 was 33,625.