Mannar--dotted with many sights and buried history
It is the presence of the flamingos that draws nature lovers to Mannar at this time of year, but the island has numerous other attractions to satisfy the visitor.
The breeze was strong enough to turn the giant windmills gently to our left and the 17th century Portuguese Fort came into our view on the right. We began to cross the shallow waters over the only bridge from the mainland, and soon were entering the island of Mannar.
Mannar is a large island with a long history. Historians believe it is the famous Manthota or Mahathiththa in Sinhala and Manthottam in Tamil in ancient times, the port that connected Sri Lanka with the Pandyan Kingdom of South India. Sadly, time has buried in sand any evidence leading to this except what’s written in chronicles and stone inscriptions found both in Sri Lanka and South India.
The recent history of the Mannar island belongs to none other than the European conquerors who were after its much-treasured pearls. They may have found records of pearl fishing in the area by the Sri Lankan kings which were well known among the early Arab traders. Greek navigation maps drawn as early as in the 2nd century describe the sea-route access to the pearl rich Mannar region which may have prompted many a trader to explore. It is the reason why the invading Portuguese built a Fort in Mannar in the 16th century which was expanded by the Dutch a century later. The occupants of Mannar continued to pay a royalty to the King of Sri Lanka for their pearl harvest.
A slight deviation to the south from the main road before one reaches the island takes one to Vankalai bird sanctuary which is a shallow lagoon and extensive mudflaps, home to a large number of migrant birds between the months of December and April. In February, each year, great flocks of flamingoes bespangle these waters. A further
drive from Vankalai would send them over the Malwathu Oya also called Aruviyaaru in those parts – to the village of Arippu that had been the centre for pearl fishing. Incidentally, the legendary British sailor captive Robert Knox who escaped from the Kandyan Kingdom of Rajasinghe the 2nd in the 17th century wisely followed the Malwathu Oya on foot from Anuradhapura as he knew the river was bound to reach the river-mouth at Arippu where the Dutch pearl fishing settlement was located. He survived the tortuous journey to famously pen his memoirs upon reaching Britain. The Dutch also built a little Fort at Arippu of which only the foundation remains now.
A century later, the first British Governor of Ceylon Sir Fredrick North built a magnificent bungalow right on the beautiful shore to capture the fascinating view of the endless beach of Arippu. Wandering author James Cordiner who travelled the length and breadth of the island in Sir North’s entourage says the bungalow was the grandest building on the island at the time. Crumbling remains of the two storied structure that withstood two centuries of sea erosion in extreme weather can still be seen. The mansion
built in the Doric style of ancient Greece may have served several Governors after Sir North until pearl fishing was scrapped.
The Fort of Mannar and the Baobab tree are not too far from one another. The Fort is small compared to those of Galle and Jaffna but may have been built so since major naval activity wasn’t a possibility in the Gulf due to the famed necklace of sand islands or the Adam’s Bridge blocking any serious navigation. The islands are not visible even from Thalaimannar point unless one hires a boat and travels a couple of miles. To do that one has to get prior permission from SL Navy. The British built a classic Lighthouse next to the Thalaimannar pier in the early 20th century when the pier was in use but it is now dilapidated and cannot be salvaged.
The Baobab was introduced to the island by the Arab traders in the 14th century and only two fully grown trees are left today, one in Mannar and the other in Delft. It is said they fed their camels and horses whom they used to traverse kingdoms, with the baobab fruit. The harsh coastal climate in Mannar may have been similar to that of Africa for the trees to flourish here over the centuries.
If one is into bird watching, hire a boat and navigate it through the Vidattaltivu mangroves. The breathtaking eco-system is found 25 kilometres north of Mannar on the Pooneryn road. There is a little fishing village at the end of a narrow road built around a lovely old church at Vidattaltivu. They harvest 1500 kg of shrimps, prawns and cuttlefish each daily at the shallow lagoon
mouth and the vast mangrove ecosystem fosters rapid breeding. There is a small naval detachment in the village with a watchtower to monitor boat movements for traffic in contraband from the Indian coast that can be reached under two hours. At any given time during the bird migratory season, a colony of brown headed gulls is there to greet you as you approach their territory of the estuary where food is aplenty for them. Permission needs to be sought from the Navy for this exercise.
The vegetation of the Mannar island is somewhat like that of the north with the palmyrah dominating but a lot more wind-driven sand dunes seem to hug the Mannar coast than seen in the Jaffna peninsula. Like in Kalpitiya, donkeys are an essential part of the Mannar landscape and are seen scavenging in wild parts as well as in the busy towns and sleepy villages. Whilst Tamil is the language people communicate with, Sinhalese appears to be understood by most.
The mainland of Mannar is fed by the waters of the massive Giant’s Tank nearby and the endless rice fields visible have rightfully earned the region the label ‘Rice Bowl’. It is the magical waters of Malwathu Oya that fill it. The all-important sites of the Roman Catholic Shrine of our Lady of Madhu and the ancient Thanthirimale Temple are points of interest enroute to Mannar with the historic Thiruketheeswaram Shrine of Ramayana fame suggesting a sizeable Hindu population as well. Destroyed by the Portuguese, this ancient shrine was subsequently rebuilt under British rule in 1903.