Jaffna

Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is located on a peninsula and serves as the administrative center of the Jaffna District. In 2012, the city had a population of 88,138, making it the 12th most populous city in Sri Lanka.

Before the Sri Lankan Civil War, Jaffna was the second most populous city in the country after Colombo. The war in the 1980s caused a lot of damage and many people had to leave their homes. After the war ended in 2009, many people began to return, and efforts were made to rebuild the city.

Jaffna has a rich history, having been a colonial port town during the time of the Portuguese occupation in 1619. It later came under the control of the Dutch and then the British. During the civil war, different groups controlled the city at various times.

Most people in Jaffna are Sri Lankan Tamils, with many also being Sri Lankan Moors, Indian Tamils, and from other groups. The city has many important places, such as the Jaffna library, which was burnt down but later rebuilt, and the Jaffna fort, which dates back to Dutch times.

Etymology

Jaffna is called Yazhpanam in Tamil and was once known as Yazhpanapattinam. An old writing from the Vijayanagara Empire calls the place Yalpaanayanpaddinam. The name appears on old copper plates from Sethupathi kings too. The ending -pattinam shows it was an old seaport town.

One story tells how the name began. A king, said to be Ukkirasinghan, met a blind musician named Panan who played the Yal. The king loved the music and gave the musician a sandy area. The musician went back to India and brought some family members to live in a place now called Passaiyoor and Gurunagar. Old harbors at Colombuthurai and Gurunagar may support this story.

The everyday name Yalpanam is often said as Yappanam. The sounds Ya and Ja, as well as pp and ff, can change easily. Jaffna comes from Yalpanam and was used by people who did not speak Tamil. When the name moved to other languages, it lost the Tamil ending m and became Jaffna.

History

Early historic period

Excavations show that people lived in this area a very long time ago. Old bronze objects and writings help us learn about life during the Iron Age. Burials and pottery found here tell us about the customs of people who lived thousands of years ago. The area was connected by trade with places in South Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and faraway lands.

Jaffna was once part of a place called Naga Nadu. It was home to a group of people known as the Naga people. Over time, these people became part of Tamil culture and language.

Medieval period

In the 1300s, a kingdom called Aryacakravarti formed here. It started as a friend to a big empire in South India but later became very powerful on its own. The city of Nallur was its capital.

For a time, this kingdom was very strong and other nearby areas paid it respect. But it also had to fight against other powerful groups. Even though it lost its freedom for a short time, it became strong again and built many important places, like temples, and created lots of literature.

Colonial history

The Portuguese arrived and made Jaffna their main city in 1621. Before this, the capital was Nallur. The Portuguese changed many things, like trade and religion, and built forts and churches.

Later, the Dutch took over. They were kinder to local traditions and rebuilt many temples. They also made the city bigger and stronger.

When the British came in 1796, they kept many Dutch ways but also helped Jaffna grow. They built roads and schools, and the city became very busy and rich.

Post-colonial history

After Sri Lanka became independent from Britain in 1948, relations between the Sinhalese and Tamil people got worse. Jaffna, a center of Tamil culture, became a place where people pushed for Tamil rights. In 1975, the mayor of Jaffna was killed. Tensions grew until a big civil war started in 1983.

During the war, the city suffered from attacks and blockades. Many people had to leave. After the war ended in 2009, people slowly returned, and the city began to rebuild. New investments are helping Jaffna grow again.

Geography

The city of Jaffna is surrounded by the Jaffna Lagoon to its west and south, and by the towns of Kokkuvil and Thirunelveli to the north. To the east lies the area called Nallur. The Jaffna peninsula, where the city sits, is made of a special kind of rock called limestone. This land was once under the sea many years ago during a time called the Miocene period. The land is mostly flat and rises just a little toward the coast. Most of the area is only slightly above sea level, except for a few towns. Near the city center, there is an island called Mandativu, connected by a causeway. You can also see palm groves in areas not used for buildings. Other plants include a leafless shrub called talai and a plant known as oleander.

Climate

Jaffna has a tropical savanna climate. It has a dry season from February to August and a wet season from September to January. Jaffna is the warmest place in Sri Lanka, with an average temperature of 28 °C (83 °F). The warmest months are April–May and August–September, while the coolest are December–January. Rain comes mainly during the North East monsoon, and the western part of the Jaffna peninsula gets about 1,300 millimetres or 50 inches of rain each year.

Governance

The Jaffna Municipal Council is in charge of running the city of Jaffna. It was created a long time ago, in 1865, but Jaffna did not have leaders chosen by the people for many years. This was because British leaders wanted to control the city themselves.

After a long break, elections happened again in 2009. The council has 29 members. The old building was destroyed during a conflict, so they are building a new one.

See also: List of mayors of Jaffna

Demography

Jaffna has historically been home to Tamils, Moors (Muslims), Europeans, and Eurasian Burghers. Over time, Tamils and Moors became the main groups, while Europeans and Burghers either blended into other communities or moved away. Europeans and the locals lived in separate parts of the city, with most houses being small and the streets kept tidy.

After 1900, the population grew, and people from the south, called Sinhalese, also settled in Jaffna. Before a big conflict called the civil war, Jaffna had Moors, Sinhalese, Indian Tamils, and other groups living together. The civil war greatly changed Jaffna’s population. Many Tamil people moved to other countries or safer places like Colombo. The smaller groups of Moors and Sinhalese either had to leave or were forced out. Because of this, Jaffna’s population is much smaller today than it was thirty years ago. Some people who left want to return, but there hasn’t been much effort to help them come back yet.

Suburbs of Jaffna

Religion

Most Tamils living in Jaffna are Hindus, especially those who follow the Shaivite tradition. They may also honor local village deities. Many Christians here are Roman Catholics, and there are also some Protestants who belong to the Church of South India. The Catholic Church has a special area called a diocese based in the city.

All Moors in Jaffna are Muslims, mainly from the Sunni group, with a few Shias coming from places like North India or Pakistan. There is also a small group of Tamil Buddhists who turned to Theravada Buddhism in the 20th century. Most Sinhalese people are either Buddhists or Catholics.

Economy and transportation

Jaffna started as a place for trading goods. Over time, people made clothes, worked with gold and silver, and processed tobacco and rice there. Today, the city's port, once a big source of money, is mostly used for fishing. Many factories that made food, household items, and salt stopped working after 1995, and many business people moved away.

Jaffna is about 396 kilometres (246 miles) from Colombo and can be reached by train, bus, or road. The A-9 highway links the city to the rest of the country. There are also flights from Chennai, India and Colombo to the Jaffna International Airport. New shopping places and hotels have been built, helping to grow tourism in the area.

Education

See also: List of schools in Northern Province, Sri Lanka and University of Jaffna

Jaffna city has many schools that were started during the time when Britain ruled Sri Lanka. A man named Peter Percival, who was a missionary, helped start schools such as Jaffna Central College and Vembadi Girls’ High School. Before a big war happened, many people in Jaffna knew how to read and write, more than in other parts of Sri Lanka.

Literature and Media

Jaffna has had a media sector since the mid-1800s. The first known Tamil and English weekly, Uthayatharakai (Morning Star), was published in 1840 by the American Ceylon Mission and the Wesleyan church. Other early papers included the Ceylon Patriot in 1863, and religious publications like the Jaffna Catholic Guardian and the Hindu Organ.

Later, popular Tamil newspapers such as Eelakesari and Eelanadu appeared. Journals like Bharati and Marumalarchi focused on modern and social issues in 1946. During the civil war, many writers and journalists faced serious dangers, and the media was closely watched. Today, Jaffna has newspapers like Uthayan, Yarl Thinakkural, and Valampurii.

Notable buildings

Jaffna has many old and important buildings. Some historic temples, libraries, and palaces were destroyed long ago by Portuguese colonizers, and their materials were used to build the Jaffna fort. A few buildings from before the Portuguese rule, like the Cankilian Thopu and the Mantri Manai, still stand today in Nallur.

In Jaffna city, you can see the big Dutch fort and many homes and churches from Dutch times, though many were damaged in the civil war. There are also notable buildings from British times, such as the Indo-Sarasenic style clock tower and the Public library. Most Hindu temples in Jaffna, including the important Nallur Kandaswamy temple, were rebuilt during the Dutch and British periods.

Notable individuals

See Category:People from Jaffna

Twin towns – sister cities

Sister City initiatives help people in different cities learn about each other's cultures. These partnerships make it easier for cities to work together on cultural, educational, business, and other projects.

Jaffna's sister cities are:

• Sterling Heights, Michigan
• Kingston upon Thames