Jaffna

One of the earliest human settlements on Northern Sri Lanka’s peninsula is Jaffna. The violence that raged across the city for ten years is now over. “the quiet nostalgia for a gratifying past puts a faint smile on the granite brought in for reconstruction.” an elderly resident writes on his blog. An accomplished painter depicts the city’s reconstruction and the people’ reintegration into the once-vibrant economy. When cities reemerge into fresh life, he says, “continual transformation is the process that cities need to endure when they emerge in to new life once again.” On your Sri Lanka holiday, when you explore the Jaffna peninsula and the vibrant outlying islands that surround it, that painting opens before your eyes. It was once the country’s second-largest metropolis and a significant Portuguese colonial stronghold. The 22 acre Dutch Fort is located inside the city limits and continues to dominate the Jaffna skyline. The greatest example of Dutch fortifications in Asia is said to be the star-shaped Jaffna Fort, erected by the Dutch in 1680.

The Delft Fort, constructed by the Portuguese, is located on Delft Island (Neduntivu islet), 35 kilometers from the city. An magnificent beach with wonderful shells is located beyond the Fort. The biggest island in the Palk Straits is connected to the mainland by a ferry service. The Kandaswamy Kovil in the city’s Nallur district was constructed in the South Indian Dravidian style. The 10th-century shrine that had existed there before being destroyed by the Portuguese. At Kantarodai, there are perhaps 100 little stupas or dagobas crammed into a space of one acre or less. The biggest stupa is almost 4 meters in diameter. These are said to date back 2000 years. A boat ride from the city takes an hour to reach the little island of Nagadeepa. Buddhists in Sri Lanka adore the freshly renovated temple because they think the Buddha once came there.