Jaffna

Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Jaffna is one of the 25 districts organized into the nine provinces. It is one of the oldest inhabited places in lower South Asia and populated mainly by Tamil speaking people. Jaffna was a city that was one the second largest on the island. The centre of the town as well as the outskirts has various ancient attractions.

Places to See
Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil
This is a huge Hindu Temple, which is crowned by a towering god-encrusted, golden-ochre gopuram. The temple is one of the most significant Hindu religious complexes in Sri Lanka. The sacred deity of the temple is Murugan (or Skanda), and during the temple puja offerings are made to the deity. There are Hindu deities like Ganesh in shrines surrounding the inner sanctum.

Jaffna Fort
Jaffna Fort was once one of the greatest Dutch Forts in Asia. Built in the year 1680, sections of the vast complex, the ones overlooking the Jaffna Lagoon, have been restored. Initially built over an earlier Portuguese original, defensive triangles were added to the fort in the year 1792.

Cankili Thoppu Archway
The Archway is the relic of the Jaffna Kingdom, and is believed to be one of the palace’s original entrances. Among its weathered yet intricate carvings is an inscription to King Sangili from 1519.

Mantiri Manai
The literal meaning of Mantiri Manai is abode of Ministers. It is a historic palace located in Nallur, Jaffna, and is one of the archaeological protected monuments in Jaffna District. The building is surrounded by various other historical remains of the Jaffna Kingdom, such as the Sattanathar temple. While some say that the structure dates back to the Jaffna Kingdom, others argue that it belongs to the Dutch or Portuguese Colonial Era.

Sangiliyan Statue
One of the most beautiful attractions of Jaffna, the Sangiliyan Statue was first erected in the year 1974. The statue portrays the last king of the Jaffna Kingdom, Cankili II. It was removed during the war and was restored in 2011. Some Tamils contend that the current version lacks some of the heroic features of the original.

Clock Tower
The Clock Tower is an architectural wonder in itself. The Moorish doomed top of the tower makes it look like it belongs to somewhere in Northern African region. The tower was erected in the year 1875 to honour the visit by the Prince of Wales. It was in the year 2000 that Prince Charles donated the working clocks that can be seen there today.

Yamuna Eri
Yamuna Eri is a U-shaped pool made of carved stones. If sources are to be believed, this has been the bathing pool of the royal family women. The tank is north of St James' Church, which is on Chemmani Rd (and not to be confused with the church of the same name on Main St).

Best time to visit
The best time to visit Jaffna in Sri Lanka is between January to July, when the climate is pleasant to explore around.

How to reach
By Air ? Tourists can get to Jaffna by taking a flight from Colombo to Palali. There are no direct flights to Jaffna from outside Sri Lanka. Palali airport is 17 km north of Jaffna.
By Train ? The railroad to Jaffna was destroyed during the war, therefore, taking the train route is not possible. One can take the train north to the town of Vavuniya and from there catch a bus on to Jaffna.
By Road ? There are a number of different buses from Colombo to Jaffna. The semi-luxury bus is more of just a normal bus and there is also a super-luxury bus.