Jaffna
Jaffna, in Sri Lanka’s far north, offers an insight into the country’s Tamil culture.
For several decades, Jaffna and its surrounding regions were at the centre of Sri Lanka’s civil war between the Tamil north and Sinhalese south. Today, Jaffna is a strikingly cosmopolitan city emerging from its troubled past.
There aren’t lots of specific tourist sites here, but it is still an interesting place to visit, baring the scars of the civil war. The public library, clock tower and the Jaffna fort are all worth visiting, with a number of religious sites such as St Mary’s Cathedral.
There are trains and buses from Colombo, with buses or cars to travel locally as well as hiring bicycles from guest houses.
Hidden gems in Jaffna
Jaffna
Casuarina beach
Only just opening up to outsiders after decades of civil war, the beaches surrounding Jaffna, at the northernmost tip of the country, are superb, isolated – and, at least for now, refreshingly non-commercial. Named after a grove of casuarina trees that border the shore, Casuarina is the best known of these beaches. With placid waters and a sandy stretch devoid of people, especially on weekdays, Casuarina makes for a perfect day trip from Jaffna. There are changing facilities, toilets and a few kiosks on the beach, but it would be advisable to bring your own picnic basket. There are hardly any hotels or guest houses in the area, so Jaffna might be your best bet for accommodation. Casuarina is about 20 km from Jaffna on the island of Karaitivu, which is connected to the mainland by a causeway. You can get there with a rental car or local bus from Jaffna; alternatively, a quality tour operator will be able to help with transport. Jaffna is easily reached from Colombo by road or train (it’s an approximately six-hour trip). The best time to visit is between May and September.
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Jaffna
Nainativu island
Of the many islands scattered off the coast of Jaffna, Nainativu – or Nagadeepa as it is also known – holds a special religious significance for Hindus and Buddhists. Believed to have once been home to a legendary tribe called the Nagas, Nainativu is best known for the Nagapooshani Amman Kovil, an ancient temple dedicated to Parvati, the consort of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction. Nainativu’s importance is heightened by the fact that it is mentioned in both ancient Tamil and Buddhist literature. Apart from the temple, the island’s other religious attraction is the Nagadeepa Purana Vihara, which is counted among the holiest Buddhist shrines in the country. Legend has it that the Buddha visited the Nagadeepa Vihara on Bakmaha Poya, or the full moon day in April. Getting to Nainativu is an adventure in itself, and one that requires a degree of fortitude. The journey involves taking a bus or car from Jaffna to Kurikadduwan (KKD) jetty, some 36 km away, and then taking a ferry to the island. The ferries run at regular intervals but are notorious for being overcrowded, so keep that in mind when planning your trip. June and July are the most colourful months of the year to visit Nainativu – the temple hosts a 16-day thiruvizha festival during this period. Check the festival dates beforehand, and expect large crowds.
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Jaffna
Witness Hindu festivities at Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil
Culturally and visually distinct from the rest of the country, the northern city of Jaffna is a bastion of Hindu culture. The whitewashed stupas and Buddha statues of the rest of the country are notably absent here. Instead, you’ll find a profusion of candy-coloured, vividly decorated Hindu temples sprinkled across the Jaffna peninsula. The largest and most significant of these is the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, an imposing temple crowned with a gilded gopuram or tower, which stands out against the squat skyline of Jaffna. In July or August every year, the Nallur temple hosts the 25-day-long Nallur Festival, a riotous celebration of faith in honour of Murugan, the presiding deity of the temple. Thousands of devotees throng the temple during this time to participate in the daily pujas or rituals. The streets surrounding the temple become a colourful bazaar with vendors selling luridly coloured sweets, saris, trinkets and toys. The festival concludes with a chariot procession called therthiruvizha (shortened to ther), during which the deity is paraded through the streets of Jaffna. A visually resplendent spectacle, the ther also features devotees performing acts of self-mutilation as a display of their faith. The timing of the festival varies from year to year, but it usually falls between late July and early August. Hotels in Jaffna are booked to capacity during the festival, so it is best to plan your trip well in advance. I'd recommend staying for three to four days.
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Jaffna
Jaffna & the north
Only recently opened up to tourism after decades of civil war, Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka is much less commercial and quieter than the tourist hotspots further south. Culturally and visually distinct from the rest of the country, Jaffna is a bastion of Hindu culture and history. The whitewashed stupas and Buddha statues of the rest of the country are notably absent here. Instead, you’ll find a profusion of candy-coloured, vividly decorated Hindu temples sprinkled across the Jaffna peninsula. The beaches here are also a different league to those further south. The islands to the west of Jaffna are connected by a network of causeways, although some do require transport by boat. Delft is the most remote and known for its wild horses and Dutch Fort, while Kayts is the largest with, with popular strips of sandy beach. Nainativu hosts the Naga Pooshani Ambal Kovil, a vibrant Hindu temple featuring a silver stupa and a seven-headed cobra fountain. In July or August, the Nallur Temple in Jaffna hosts the Nallur Festival, a 25-day celebration of faith in honour of Murugan, the deity of the temple. The streets become a vibrant market with vendors selling trinkets and sweets culminating in a chariot procession, parading the deity through Jaffna.
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Casuarina beach
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Nainativu island
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Witness Hindu festivities at Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil
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Jaffna & the north
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Jaffna itineraries
Jaffna travel companies
