Holiday in Sri Lanka
SRI Lanka is a very popular tourist destination. Places like Colombo, Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka are popular among tourists.
The Northern Province of Sri Lanka is known as Yalpanam in Tamil. Yal is actually an ancient Sri Lankan Tamil musical instrument.
Up north, tourists also visit Jaffna. I visited Jaffna for the second time recently.
There are many interesting sights in Jaffna and the palmyra palm tree is one of the most popular symbols of the city. The palmyra palm tree produces fruit which is known as Nungku, as well as palm sugar.
A famous place in Jaffna is Adam’s Bridge. Adam’s Bridge is also known as Rama Seetha Paalam. This defunct bridge, which is 48km long, is formerly a land connection between India and Sri Lanka. Adam’s Bridge was reportedly passable on foot until the 15th century when storms deepened the channel. It was completely above sea level until it was destroyed in a cyclone in AD 1480.
Jaffna also has one of the biggest libraries in Asia. Managed by the Jaffna Municipal Council, the Jaffna Public Library is one of the prominent landmarks in the city. Back in its heyday, the library has over 97,000 books and manuscripts and this attracted many researchers from India and from other countries for their research purposes.
It was built in 1933 and was burnt in 198, during the Sri Lankan civil war. The Jaffna Public Library also used to be known for having a wide array of archival material written in palm leaf manuscripts, but many were sadly destroyed in the fire.
Moving on, my next stop was Jaffna Fort. The fort has a rich historical background that dates all the way back to the 16th century.
Built by the Portuguese at Jaffna, Sri Lanka in 1618, Jaffna Fort is actually the second largest Dutch Fort in Sri Lanka. It was captured and expanded by the Dutch in 1658.
In 1795, Jaffna Fort was taken over by the British and remained under their control until 1948. A mini-museum that showcases historical information about the fort can be found inside the fort.
Next, I also visited one of the oldest schools in Jaffna, which is Methodist Girls’ High School. It was founded by British Methodist missionaries in the year 1823.
Other popular places in Sri Lanka are Chatty Beach, Delft island, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Nallur and many more.
Jaffna is also home to many exotic species of birds and animals. Much of the flora and fauna remains unexplored. Some tourists even prefer to stay in villages to enjoy nature.
Jaffna has much to offer and does not disappoint those who are looking for a funfilled holiday.