Sunday 14 Feb 2016

Today we have a full day trip to Mullaitivu. I was keen to see this area as it was the LTTE stronghold and where the  made their last stand in the civil war.  The lagoon area called Nanthikadal was site of alleged massacre of civilians who were cornered and had no where to go during the final stages of the war.  Along the way, there will be various sites from the war years that would be interesting, including a museum holding captured LTTE weapons.  Prabhakaran’s bunker (apparently 4 stories underground), Sea Tiger training centre and other LTTE command centres are also in this area.  We learnt from later from our van driver that most of these sites have been demolished by the government.  We were also recommended to visit the famed Vattapallai Kannaki Amman Temple in Mullaitivu.  Following Mullaitivu, we will make a trip to Vavuniya to visit Susie’s uncle.

From Jaffna we drove through Elephant Pass and to Kilinochchi.  First stop was the Water Tower that was blown up by the LTTE during the final stages of the war.

Next stop was the Iranamadu Tank.  This reservoir was built in 1902.

After more than an hours drive, we arrived in the town of Puthukkudiyiruppu which is home to a war museum that houses LTTE weapons and hardware.  It was interesting to walk through this place and look at the various captured weapons on display.  A lot of these weapons and equipment are improvised but have proven somewhat effective during the civil war.

After the war museum we headed towards Nanthikadal.  To my disappointment, the contentious beach area was fenced off by the army with sentry posts at regular intervals.  There were alleged human rights abuses here and the government was keen to keep the evidence away from prying eyes.

Going around the Nanthikadal lagoon we came to the famed Vattapallai Kannaki Amman Temple.  Vattapallai is the area in which the temple is located.  I am unsure about the history of this temple.

After the temple visit we made our way to Vavuniya to have a meal at Susie’s uncle’s place.  We had a great meal and Susie’s uncle and aunt were warm and welcoming.

The drive back to Jaffna was about 2.5 hours and we arrived at the hotel at night.

Saturday 13 Feb 2016

Today we decided to do nothing but go shopping and hang loose.  Most of my other relatives were leaving today, mostly to Malaysia and Melbourne.  They were catching the 1:45 train back to Colombo.  We went to see my granduncle again this morning.  He lived down the road.  He is a treasure of information.  Even though he is 84, he is pretty sharp.  Having worked at the Central Bank in Colombo all his working life, our conversation is in English.  This is a welcome relief to us as our Tamil is well below local standards.

We returned to the hotel to bid farewell to the departing group.  At this point the sun was really belting down and so we decided to wait a while before hitting the shops.  At about 2pm we decided to make our move.  Our group split up at the shopping area.  Susie and I went separately.  I had to get a few things, including spices and some clothes for my nieces in Singapore.  We then went to a restaurant to have some refreshments.  It is hot here, quite similar to Sydney but slightly humid.  We returned to the hotel after the drinkl.  We later went to a supermarket for a second round of shopping.

That evening Logan had organised a feast at the hotel.  Jaffna crab curry was prepared in 3 versions.  Due to my allergy, I had fish curry.  We had some vegetable curry and rice to go.  It was a wonderful feast and seemed to have gone for hours.  An American couple in the next table were looking at us enviously.  As they were leaving, they greeted us and commented on our feast.

Friday 12 Feb 2016

Today was an early start.  Consecration ceremonies at temple was beginning at 6am.  It should be finished by 7:30am.  Timing is important for Hindus who look to astrologers for auspicious times.  The temple is known as the Sri Katpaga Vinayagar Temple in the village of  Varivalavu.

After the temple proceedings, we decided to do a tour of Karainagar, the island from which my ancestors came from.  First stop was the famous Casuarina Beach.  It is more relaxed here now.  The last I was here 3 years ago, there an army sentry stationed here.  This  was followed by a visit to my maternal ancestral homeland.

After Casuarina Beach, it was time to head for Kovalum, the village my maternal grandmother came from.  It is rough road that is unsealed.  No many live in the village now except for a few.  Our van driver could not make the trip due to road conditions.  We decided to use a Tuk-tuk to make the journey.  Vijaya negotiated a price of 600 rupees with a Tuk-tuk driver for us to make the journey.  My cousin Sangaran, Palini a close family friend and myself decided to make the journey.  We went to the first property that belong to one of our relatives.  Then we made the trip to the beach front where the actual land is.  Part of the land, as we thought, was occupied by the navy.  We later realised upon surveying the land, it was not the case.  To our surprise, the navy personnel were friendly and helpful.  This really surprised me.  The end result is that we were able to inspect our ancestral land with great ease.  Paling who can speak Sinhalese facilitated this.  We were also advised by the navy personnel to register our interest in the land with the Grama Niladhari, who is local village level government official who is meant to keep track of land in his allotted area.  This way if others came to ask about the land or try to assume ownership, this official could advise them accordingly.

We decided to end the day by relaxing and recovering from the events of the day back at the hotel.  We needed it especially because of the early start.  Needless to say, I had a nap which I most enjoyed.

Thursday 11 Feb 2016

We had a late morning start at the temple on Karainagar island, our ancestral homeland.  There was a festival at the temple, a precursor to the consecration of the temple following some renovations.  We were annointing oils on the deities and this was the only time we were allowed to enter the inner chamber of the temple.  Following this we had lunch at the temple.

In the afternoon we decided to explore Jaffna town, slighter further from our hotel.  The first stop was Nallur Kandasamy Temple, the most famous temple in Jaffna.  The original temple was built between 1450 to 1467.  It was levelled to the ground by the Portuguese in 1620.  The present temple was built during the Dutch period, around 1807.  It was not rebuilt on the original site.  The original site is occupied by St James Church.

The next stop was Mandri Manai (Ministers House).  It was built in the fifteenth century.  It is deserted now but in has cellars and underground rooms where the inhabitants stored their valuables.

We then visited one of the largest church in Jaffna, St Patricks Catholic Church.

We finished with a visit to Rio Ice Creams, the most famous ice cream parlour in Jaffna.  Despite it’s popularity, the system within the parlour is chaotic.  We took some take-away to have it in the van.  The ice cream is very sweet and has inconsistent texture.  We enjoyed it though.  That evening Susie, Shantini and I had dinner at Susie’s uncle’s place.  He was an interesting man and kept us most amused with his stories.

Wednesday 10 Feb 2016

The day started with an early morning walk with my cousin Sangaran and Charles.  We walked to Jaffna Fort.  It was built by the Portuguese first and then fortified by the Dutch.  The date on the entry way is 1690.  It was heavily damaged during the war but is slowly being repaired.  Not much has progressed since my last visit.

Then a group of us decided we will visit North Jaffna.  We were going to Keerimalai Springs and then to Point Pedro, the northern most point in Sri Lanka.  I have been to these places before but it will be good for a return visit.

Our first stop was the Keerimalai Springs.  The Hindu temple besides it dates back from the BC era.  It was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1620.  It was rebuilt in 1894.  However, the civil war caused extensive damage to the temple.  Bullet holes and mortar damage was visible on my last visit.  A new temple was built.

Some of us had a swim in the Keerimalai Springs.  It is meant to have some medicinal properties.  It was refreshing after the swim and a good relief from the heat.  After Keerimalai Springs, we headed down the road to Dambakola.  When Buddhism was came to Sri Lanka from India, it was reputed to have come through Dambakola.

After Dambakola, we headed for Niravalai deep well.  It has a deep aquamarine colour and the depth of the well has never been determined.  Legend has it that this is where Rama from the Hindu epic Ramayana stopped to rest.

After a brief stop at Niravalai well, we headed for Point Pedro, the northern most point in Sri Lanka.  The 2004 Tsunami hit this place too and caused massive destruction.  A lot of the buildings here have not been repaired or replaced.

After Point Pedro, we had lunch at a local shop and headed back to Jaffna.  There were some temple festivities later on our home island Karainagar.

Tuesday 9 Feb 2016

I got up at 6am to do an early morning walk and also to take in the morning sights of Jaffna town.  Jaffna is a different picture in the morning without the mad traffic.

After a shower and breakfast, we were ready for a trip to Mannar.  We were going to a well known Hindu temple, Ketheeswaram temple and Catholic church, Our Lady of Madhu Shrine Catholic church.  We also later decided to go to Talaimannar which is the closest point from Sri Lanka to India.  There is a series of islands and sand dunes called Adam’s Bridge or Rama’s Bridge.  Jeeva organised another van via the hotel.  It was a 10 seater, new and tidy. Ria the driver was proud of his vehicle and his service was impeccable.

The Gulf of Mannar was well known for valuable pearls.  This attracted the Portuguese and other Europeans.  Trade was foremost in the minds of the Portuguese however subsequently they were active in trying to convert the local population to Catholicism.  It can be said that Catholicism (or Christianity) established it’s beachhead on Sri Lanka in Mannar.  St Francis Xavier was active in Mannar around 1543.

Our first stop was Ketheeswaram temple.  This temple dates back from 300 BC and is dedicated to Lord Shiva.  In 1505 along with many Hindu and Buddhist temples around the island, this temple was destroyed by the Portuguese in their quest to spread Christianity.  Later, the temple stones were used to build Manner Fort, a church and Hammershield Fort at Kayts. The temple was rebuilt in 1903 following the unearthing of original deities in 1894 at the original site of the temple.

Our second stop was the Our Lady of Madhu Shrine Catholic Church.  This church dates back 400 years and is thought to be the holiest Catholic place on the island.  During the civil war, the shrine housed more than 10,000 refugees.  The area around the shrine was considered a ‘demilitarised zone’.  Unfortunately the area was shelled in late 1999, killing 44 refugees.

We had lunch at the church canteen and then decided to head for Talaimannar, the eastern most part of Mannar and the closest point to India.  Before the civil war, trade flowed freely between Sri Lanka and India for centuries.  We were also keen to see Adam’s Bridge, a collection of island and outcrops connecting Sri Lanka to India.  This area is heavily patrolled by the navy.  The point Adam’s Bridge starts on the Sri Lankan side is now a naval base.  We were directed by the guard to hire a fishing board to take as to Adam’s Bridge.  I was approached by a fisherman and was told the cost of the trip was LKR5000.  I checked that he had life jackets.  Then he realised we were not Sri Lankans and therefore could not take us.  Apparently only Sri Lankan citizens could hire a boat to take them to Adam’s Bridge.  This was later confirmed by a navy personnel who came over to investigate our presence.  The reason given was that the Sri Lankan Government did not want to be held responsible for the safety of foreigners.  This was a real disappointment.  Having come this far and this close and not being able to make the trip.  We spent some time on the beach and then boarded the van to head back to Jaffna.