| Northern Province (In Sinhala: උතුරු පළාත Uturu Paḷāta; in Tamil: வட மாகாணம் Vaṭakku Mākāṇam) | |
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| The lagoon of Jaffna | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Area | 8 884 km² |
| Population | 1 058 762 hab. (2011) |
| Density | 119,18 inhab./km² |
| Postal code | 40000–45999 |
| Location | |
&groups=aller,circuler,voir,faire,acheter,manger,sortir,loger,ville,destination,diplomatie,masque,around,buy,city,do,drink,eat,go,listing,other,see,sleep,vicinity,view,black,blue,brown,chocolate,forestgreen,gold,gray,grey,lime,maroon,mediumaquamarine,navy,red,royalblue,silver,steelblue,teal,fuchsia) 9 ° 11 ′ 24 ″ N 80 ° 13 ′ 48 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
The northern province is one of the provinces of Sri Lanka.
Understand
Regions
Cities
- 1 Jaffna – The former headquarters of the Tamil Tigers, the city was almost destroyed during the civil war which left at least 100,000 dead. Since October 13, 2014, trains have once again linked the capital Colombo to this northern city which is considered the cultural capital of the Tamil people.
- 2 Vavuniya
- 3 Madhu – Village with a Catholic Marian Shrine which is the most important pilgrimage center for Catholics in Sri Lanka. From July 2 and August 15, the sanctuary of Our Lady of Madhu attracts more than 600,000 pilgrims each year.
- 4 Vankalai – Tamil fishing village Christianized by Saint François Xavier who traveled to Ceylon from December 1544 to August 1545,
- 5 Mannar – The city is located on the homonymous island connected to the mainland by a causeway
- 6 Talaimannar – At the end of the island of Mannar, where ferries once left for the port Indian of 1 Rameswaram on thePamban Island (Tamil Nadu).
- 7 Mullaitivu – Village between a lagoon and the east coast with a 16th century church built by the Portuguese
- 8 Murunkan – Village near a reservoir frequented by many aquatic birds
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Other destinations
- 2 Elephant Pass – The narrow passage between two lagoons which controls access to the peninsula of Jaffna, formerly guarded by a fort built by the Dutch. The place has been the scene of many battles between the Sri Lankan army and LTTE fighters.
- 3 Chundikkulam Lagoon (Elephant Pass Lagoon) – These maritime marshes, located on the path of migrating birds, are frequented by flamingos and herons.
The islands west of Jaffna
- 4 Velanai (Leiden Island)
- 5 Karaitivu (Kaaraitheevu)
- 6 Dwarf (Nagadeepa) – Small island that houses a Hindu shrine and a Buddhist monastery
- 7 Delft Island (Neduntheevu) – With ruins from the Dutch era. The settlers used blocks of coral rock in the construction of the walls.
To go
The Yaal Devi express train line (the “Queen of Jaffna”) was inaugurated on October 10, 2014, almost 25 years after its interruption due to the civil war. Every day a train to Kankesanturai leaves from Fort de Colombo To 5 h 45. The line serves the following cities:
- Anuradhapura9 h 13
- Medawachchi9 h 39
- Vavunia10 h 04
- Kilinochchi11 h 06
- Kodikamam11 h 37
- Chavakashchri11 h 45
- Navatkuli11 h 54
- Jaffna12 h 03
- Kondavil12 h 08
- Chunnakam12 h 13
- Kankesanturai12 h 20
You must book your train ticket well in advance (45 to 3 days before departure) and buy it on site (at Fort Colombo station). The Sri Lankan Railways do not yet allow the issuance of electronic tickets (e-tickets).
