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Photo: Anton Croos, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This magnificent library, built in 1933, once housed the largest collection in Asia, with over 97,000 books and rare documents. It was burnt in 1981 by Sinhalese police and paramilitaries during a pogrom against the minority Tamil population. As a precursor to the Sri Lankan Civil War, the burning of Jaffna Library remains a controversial and traumatic issue among many in Jaffna. Restored and reopened, it now houses a much smaller collection. It is airconditioned so is a great place to hide from the heat, though much of the library is off limits to visitors.
Jaffna Public Library is located in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It is one of Jaffna's landmarks, and is run by the Jaffna Municipal Council. The library was built in 1933 and is Sri Lanka's second main public Library, only rivalled by Colombo Public Library During the early 1980s, it was one of the biggest libraries in Asia, containing over 97,000 books and manuscripts. In 1981, it was burned down in a deliberate mob attack. Over a million books were burned in the 1981 arson attack, and some ancient Tamil books and manuscripts were never recovered. In 2001, the renovation of the library was completed, with new structures being built and new books received, although its old books and manuscripts were not replaced.
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A colourful, bustling market
A bustling market for locally-caught seafood
A small, easy-to-miss museum with a small collection of interesting local history.
பழைய பூங்கா
An interesting old ruin partly engulfed by trees. This British Governor's residence ("Kachcheri") from the 19th century was left in a state of ruin after the civil war, having been used by both Tamil Tiger and government forces.
Beautiful and famous Hindu temple. Come at sunset when the orange coloured temple building is at its most vibrant. Photography is not allowed inside.