Present Pungudutive has been identified with ancient Puvangu Divaina (the Island of Puvangu). This island is referred to in the 12th-century Rameswaram
Sinhala inscription of
King Nissankamalla (1187-1196 A.D.) as "Puvagu Divaina". The Nampota, an ancient Sinhala text written after the 14th century mentions this island as Puvangu Divaina which means the Island of Puvangu. The island was named as Middleburg by the Dutch colonial rulers during their occupation of then Ceylon. Most of the residents of the island are Tamils with majority being
Hindus and a minority of
Christians. There are a lot of Hindu temples in this region along with some Christian churches. ==Sri Lankan Civil War==