Several small islands lay just off the Jaffna Peninsula and the following day we took to the ocean and spent the day exploring by boat. Like many local people, we made the pilgrimage to Nainativu Island, one of the holiest sites in Sri Lanka for both Buddhists and Hindus. Here we had another opportunity to witness religious ceremonies and one of the things that struck me is that the temples in and around Jaffna all felt so alive. Temples here are not just places of worship; they are locations for family outings, meeting venues as well as places for quiet contemplation. And for the visitor like me, a window into a culture very different to my own.
Nagadeepa Temple, Nainativu, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Before returning to the mainland, we also made a stop at Delft Island with its barren landscapes, wild horses and history of colonial occupation. Known locally as ‘Pasuthivu’ or ’Nedunthivu’ (which means the island of cows), it was named ‘Illha das Vaka’ by the Portuguese and renamed Delft by the Dutch, after the pottery famous town in the Netherlands.
Point Pedro, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Whilst in Jaffna there was one more thing we had to make time for – the local food. I love Sri Lankan food but the cuisine in these far northern reaches of the country is heavily influenced by south Indian cooking and we devoured dosas (huge thin crêpes filled with spiced vegetables), fragrant fish curries made with the catch of the day, mango ice cream and hot sweet tea, before taking a final stroll along the water’s edge as the sun dipped below the horizon on the Indian Ocean.
Point Pedro, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka may be known as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’, but Jaffna could very well be a new jewel in her crown.
You can visit Jaffna with Corinthian Travel as part of a tailor-made holiday to Sri Lanka or on the Colonial and Cultural Sri Lanka itinerary.
Post by Kirsty Bennetts. Full-time traveller and co-owner of the travel blog, Kathmandu & Beyond, Kirsty has travelled extensively throughout the Indian subcontinent and beyond.
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