Some more Sights around Jaffna, Jaffna, Sri Lanka

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.

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. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).