Tainted by remnants of the civil war for which Jaffna was the battlefield, the capital of the Nothern Province of Sri Lanka still seems to hold on to its wartorn fragments of old-world charm. Whilst the dominant religious culture in the area is Hinduism, bits and pieces of an ancient Buddhist temple, Kadurugoda Vihara remains in a lush village called Kandarodai. In early times, this region was known to be the Nallur Kingdom which existed from 12th to the 16th century. In the year 1619, the Portuguese began taking over and constructed the Jaffna Fort which was later reinforced by the Dutch.
One of the noteable monuments in the heart of Jaffna is the Jaffna Clock Tower which was constructed in commemoration of the visit of Prince Albert Edward to Ceylon in 1875. Alongside the tower is a statue of the last king of the Nallur Kingdom, King Sangani II.
Visiting Jaffna will also give you the chance to delve into the age-old Hindu history of the region with a visit to temples like Nallur Kandaswamy Temple said to be the grandest Hindu Shrine in Sri Lanka. The Nallur Festival takes place in August where devotees pay their respects to their god by driving skewers through their bodies, and extraordinarily do not injure themselves.
Jaffna is not to be excluded from Sri Lanka’s share of myths and legends – the little village of Nilawari, in Jaffna is known for its part in the legendary stories of the Ramayana; it is home to a mystical underground water spring of undocumented depth and it is said that this spring was created by Lord Rama shooting a magic arrow into the ground when his army was faced with a dire water shortage during the war against King Ravana. On firing the arrow, the water gushed forth and hasn’t dried up once to date. This well, part of Ramayana tale, attracts thousands of locals and travellers each year.
A visit to this culturally rich part of the island is bound to be a wonderful adventure providing insight into what life is like on a whole different side of Sri Lanka.
