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tasteful, colonial-style rooms in a tranquil
location around 12km west of Mannar Town;
the ambience and service are very refined.
Rates include all meals.Colombo Pilawoos sr I lANKAN $
(grand Bazaar, Mannar Town; meals rs 140-300)
Pilawoos, right at the main roundabout, has
lots of rice and curries, kotthu and delicious
hoppers (bowl-shaped pancakes; be sure to
get the ‘sugar sambar’ to go with them).City Hotel sr I lANKAN $
(42 grand Bazaar, Mannar Town; meals rs 180-300)
A hospitable restaurant just south of the
causeway with a good-value range of curry
dishes, grilled fish and spicy chicken.8 Information
Mannar has a post office ( field st) and a few
banks with ATMs, including Commercial Bank
(Main st).8 Getting There & Around
The railway connection from Colombo to Man-
nar, via Medawachchiya, was almost restored
at research time. It’s possible that ferries to
r ameswaram (India) will resume when the
railway reopens. Buses from Mannar include the
following:
Colombo rs 378, eight hours, seven daily
Jaffna rs 196, 3½ hours, 10 daily
Tallaimannar rs 52, one hour, hourly
Thirukketeeswaram Kovil rs 21, 20 minutes,
nine daily
Vavuniya rs 114, 2½ hours, hourlyJaf f na
%021 / POPULATION 116,000
Slowly but surely reemerging as a bastion
of Hindu tradition, art and creative culture,
Jaffna is once again welcoming visitors and
looking to rise again. It’s an intriguing, un-
imposing and mostly untouristed place that’s
a thoroughly rewarding place to invest a few
days discovering Sri Lankan Tamil culture.
Inescapably, decades of war, emigration,
embargoes and loss of life and property have
deeply affected this historic Tamil town. If
you’ve just arrived from the south, the im-
pact of all this is all too evident, with ruined
homes, bombed churches, and civic buildings
pockmarked by bullets and shrapnel very
much part of the scene. Around one in five of
the city’s structures suffered war damage. The
military retain a strong presence and locals
complain about harassment and infringe-
ment of property as well as livelihood. Peace
and reconciliation are still works in progress.
As refugees and exiles return to rebuild
the city, confidence and finance is returning.
The city is surprisingly green and leafy, with
attractive palm-shaded colonial-era suburbs
and beautiful temples and churches. Physi-
cally, new structures (including the city’s first
shopping mall) and upgraded road, rail and
air connections are inspiring optimism. But
you’ll appreciate Jaffna more for its insights
into the Tamil people and their struggle than
for any specific points of interest.
The city is also an ideal base for forays to
the idyllic islands just to the west, and trips
along the coastline and lagoons of the sur-
rounding peninsula.OUR LADY OF MADHU
CHURCH
This church (h6am-8pm) is Sri Lanka’s
most hallowed Christian monument
(though it’s thought to be have been
constructed over an ancient Hindu
shrine). Its walls shelter Our Lady of
Madhu, a diminutive but revered Ma-
donna-and-child statue brought here
in 1670 by Catholics fleeing Protestant
Dutch persecution in Mannar.
The statue rapidly developed a repu-
tation for miracles – it was particularly
revered as offering protection from
snake bites – and Madhu has been a
place of pilgrimage ever since. The vast
Madhu compound also served as a ref-
uge for those fleeing the civil war when
refugee camps ringed the complex.
The present church dates from 1872
and is quite plain but has soaring cen-
tral columns. Outside, the most striking
feature is the elongated portico painted
cream and duck-egg blue. The church
attracts huge crowds of pilgrims to its
10 annual festivals, especially the one on
15 August.
Our Lady is 12km along Madhu Rd,
which branches off the Vavuniya–Man-
nar road at Madhu Junction on the 47
Km marker. Vavuniya–Mannar buses
(and trains from Medawachchiya, a
station on the Jaffna–Colombo main
line) both stop at Madhu Junction. From
here three-wheelers cost Rs 800 return
including waiting time.