Jaffna, the principal city of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, is the cultural and commercial centre of the island’s Tamil community and the heartland of Sri Lankan Tamil culture. Located at the tip of the Jaffna Peninsula â a flat, dry limestone landscape jutting into the Palk Strait separating Sri Lanka from India â the city is surrounded by lagoons, small offshore islands, and the most arid terrain in Sri Lanka. Jaffna’s distinctive Tamil Hindu culture, cuisine, architecture, and performing arts traditions have developed in relative geographic isolation over many centuries.
A Jaffna cultural tour typically includes the Jaffna Fort (a Portuguese-built fortification substantially expanded by the Dutch, now a national monument), the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil (one of the most important Hindu temples in Sri Lanka, with daily puja ceremonies and a major annual festival in JulyâAugust), the Jaffna Public Library (rebuilt after its destruction in 1981 and one of the largest in South Asia), and Jaffna Market, where the distinctive produce of the north â including Jaffna mangoes, red onions, and palmyrah-based foods â can be found. The tour also provides context for the region’s complex recent history following the civil conflict that ended in 2009.
Categories
Regions
Location
Only guests who have booked can leave a review.
