Some more sights around Jaffna

Sri Lanka is a tear-shaped island of mystery and beauty, a paradise on Earth

Arthur C. Clarke

If Sri Lanka is tear-shaped, Jaffna can be said to lie at the upper point of that tear, just as it starts to fall from the eye. Appropriate perhaps for a region that has seen more than its share of conflict. As I mentioned in my previous post, this northern region was for many years the stronghold of the Tamil Tigers. But today it is as peaceful as any other part of the country and has much to reward those who make the long journey north.

With two days to explore Jaffna we were able to spend as much time in the region around the city as we did in the city itself. Today I want to share some of the sights in this diverse region that is now once again welcoming tourists after being ‘off limits’ during the years of civil war.

Kadurugoda Viharaya

The ancient stupas at this site are the remains of a Buddhist monastery. Our local guide mentioned that sixty monks living here around 1,000 years ago had died of food poisoning. According to Wikipedia, this is just one of several legends about this spot:

According to one legend, in the 16th century, Jaffna Peninsula was ruled by a king named Sangili. At that time there were 60 Arhat Bhikkus practicing meditation. Due to harassment from King Sangili, those 60 Bhikkus decided to leave Jaffna and go to India. On their way, they had stayed at the Kadurugoda area to accept alms-giving from local residents. A mushroom curry served to them was poisoned and all of the Bhikkus had died. It is believed that these stupas were constructed with enshrining the relics of those 60 Arhath Bhikkus. Another story says that the 60 Arhath Bhikkus had died due to a famine, which was there for a long time.

The site is tucked between local houses and we had it to ourselves. It’s not possible to walk around, only to view and take photos through a fence. But to be honest there’s not that much to see!

Kadurugoda Viharaya

Point Pedro

This is a small fishing village close to the northernmost point of Sakkotai Cape. We stopped here briefly and I enjoyed taking photos of the colourful boats and fishing nets on the beach.

Fishing boats, nets and a shop at Point Pedro

Nilavarai Well

While this isn’t the most dramatic of Jaffna’s sights it holds a lot of meaning for the country’s Hindus. Its waters are said to be bottomless and appear to be somehow connected directly to the sea. The water is apparently fresh near the top but becomes increasingly salty the deeper you go. It is traditionally believed to have been the work of Rama himself, who created it by sticking an arrow into the ground to assuage his thirst. A small but colourful temple marks the spot.

Nilavarai Bottomless Well

Arulmigu Sri Veerakathi Vinayagar and Urumpirai Karpaha Pillaiyar Kovil Temples

On our way back towards Jaffna after visiting Nilavarai, our guide Champi kindly stopped so we could photograph a couple of temples that had caught my eye on the outward journey. Both are devoted to Ganesh, as the elephants that adorn them make clear. It was these elephants that had caught my eye but having stopped I found plenty more to photograph. In fact I took some of my favourite photos in Jaffna here, including my feature photo which is of Arulmigu Sri Veerakathi Vinayagar.

Arulmigu Sri Veerakathi Vinayagar Temple

Urumpirai Karpaha Pillaiyar Kovil Temple

Manthiri Manai

This ruined building is sometimes known as Jaffna Palace. According to Wikipedia it is believed to be one of the residences of a minister of Cankili, king of Jaffna before the fall of the kingdom to the Portuguese. However the Amazing Lanka website outlines several theories about its history and concludes that it might well have been built as recently as 1890 and may merely have been a gatehouse rather than a palace.

Manthiri Manai

The ruins are clearly not well maintained, and I suspect in the UK entry would be forbidden as they didn’t look 100% safe. But we were able to go in and enjoyed wandering around the various rooms.

And I hope those wanderings, and similar ones around the other sights described above, will qualify as a Monday Walk for Jo.

I visited Jaffna in February 2026