SL 2016

Day Ten – Trip to Mannar

Wed 10-Feb-2016 Kulendran Anaimugan Leave a comment

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.

Jaffna Clock Tower – built to commemorate the visit to Ceylon by the Prince of Wales in 1875

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.

Looking out into the courtyard from within the church

Mailbox on church site dating from the reign of King George VI

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.

SL 2016

Day Nine – Train Trip to Jaffna

Wed 10-Feb-2016 Kulendran Anaimugan Leave a comment

Monday 8 Feb 2016

We got up at some insane hour to catch the 5:35am train to Jaffna. Transport was organised to take us to Colombo Station. The hotel made breakfast boxes for us to take on the trip. We were ready and waiting for our transport in the hotel lobby. The morning outside the hotel was eerily quiet. The hotel is in a very busy part of Colombo during the day.

Front of Grand Oriental Hotel in the early morning

Side street beside the hotel in the early morning

Colombo Port Administration Building (opposite the hotel)

Transport came on time and we were at the station a little after 5am. We booked first class seats for our trip to Jaffna. This means we got slightly more comfortable seats and an air-conditioned carriage. The heat can be oppressive at times. After a 30 minute wait, the train arrived. There were others we knew who were going to be on the train to Jaffna. It was scramble, though not a mad one, to get onboard. Our seats were close to the exit doors and so this made it easier to move our bags into position. Most of the bags were place behind the first row of seats. There was enough room to stack up the large ones. The smaller ones were placed on the overhead rack. We settled back on the train to have a bit of a breather. Before long, the train was on its way. Charles walked through the carriage into the next one and managed to tracked down Jeeva and Shanta. Jeeva had organised transport at the Jaffna end to take us to the our hotel. We will be staying at the same hotel as our 2013 trip. The Pillaiyar Inn is not salubrious but adequate and in a convenient location in Jaffna.

The trip out of Colombo was a rocky one. The tracks were in good need of a realignment. The carriages were rocking from left to right and back again. Looking down the carriage into the next carriage through the separating glass door, we could see the extend of the tilt from left to right in the next carriage. The rocking was therapeutic I must say. My back got a good massage. However, if you needed to answer the call of nature, it could be tricky and quite ugly.

Nearer Jaffna, the ride was smoother. The tracks were newly laid here after the war. The project was sponsored by the Indian Government and the start of services to Jaffna was celebrated with huge fanfare. The train arrived in Jaffna at midday and on time. We waited for short while for our transport to arrive. The van was not quite what Jeeva was expecting. It was smaller and could not accomodate all of us. Therefore, 2 trips were organised. All of us got the hotel without much issues for lunch and a good rest. The rooms were all meant to be of the same standard but they all had variable quality. Some were granite tiled whereas others had old carpet. The most important thing is that the air-conditioning worked and we had place to rest. The hotel was reasonably clean the ‘butler’ attached to us is very helpful. The same guys were here when I came 3 years ago. It was nice to see familiar faces. Sangaran, Charles and I were in one 5 person room, Susie and Shantini were in one 3 person room and Logan and Vasantha were in a double room.

SL 2016

Day Eight – Back to Colombo

Wed 10-Feb-2016 Kulendran Anaimugan Leave a comment

Sunday 7 Feb 2016

We woke up at a leisurely time and had a relaxed breakfast at our hotel in Mirissa. The food here is reasonable but we were spoilt at other places. We were visited by some cute puppies that decided to sleep at our feet as we had breakfast.

After breakfast we packed up and were on the road again for a short trip to Galle. I have been here before in 2013. It was still interesting to visit this place again. It is rich in history.

After Galle, we had lunch as a restaurant that was off the main road to Colombo and by the ocean. It was a popular place and the food was good. Following lunch, we dropped off two in the group to Bawa House, the residence of the late Geoffrey Bawa who was the most influential architect on the island. His house is like a museum with long flowing gardens. The rest of us went to Bentota Beach to relax and take in the views. This beach has pristine white sands.

We arrived in Colombo in the early part of the evening and checked into the Grand Oriental Hotel. Our guide Jagath booked this hotel as it was close to the Colombo Railway Station. Our train to Jaffna the next morning departs Colombo at 5:35am. The hotel was once the residence of the Dutch Governor and also became military barracks. It became a hotel in 1870. That evening Susie and I met her friend whom we had missed in Batticaloa. He ran the orphanage there. We retired early as we had an even earlier start the next day.

SL 2016

Day Seven – Trip to Kataragama

Wed 10-Feb-2016 Kulendran Anaimugan Leave a comment

Saturday 6 Feb 2016

We woke up in the morning at Tissa to the sounds of peacocks and other animals in the background. The place we were staying at Tissa seemed like it was in the middle of the jungle. It was a beautiful setting.

After breakfast, we packed and were ready for our short trip to Kataragama. Kataragama is a remote religious town that is sacred to the Buddhists,Hindus and Muslims. Pilgrims come from all over Sri Lanka and beyond. The shrines are dedicated to the god Kataragama.

Pilgrims on the way to the temple washing themselves in the river nearby

The monkeys in the area seem quite at home

The monkeys in the precinct area are quite tame and fed by the pilgrims. We go past a mosque and a Shiva shrine. A short distance later we come to the Maha Devale, the main shrine for Kataragama.

Priest entering the Maha Devale for morning Pooja

Beyond Maha Devale, about 500m down the road is the Buddhist shrine, Kiri Vihara.

There were elephants with the mahouts along the roadway leading up to Kiri Vihara. The pilgrims seek blessing from the elephants.

Looking down the roadway filled with pilgrims from Kiri Vihara

Pilgrim going underneath elephant to seek blessing

After about 3 hours or so at Kataragama, we were back in our van on our way to our next overnight stop in Mirissa. Mirissa is on the south coast of Sri Lanka and the area is unspoilt.