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extraordinary ruthlessness, charisma and
single-minded strength of purpose, Prabha-
karan’s personality was considered by many
to be the reason that the LTTE – of all the mil-
itant Tamil-rights groups that emerged in the
1970s – rose to prominence. Prabhakaran’s
death was reported during the final days of
the war. Today there’s nothing left of the Prab-
hakaran family home. The army demolished
it in 2010, an action which many observers
thought was to prevent it from becoming a
tourist attraction, or even a kind of shrine.

Point Pedro & Around

From VVT, the coast road curves east to Point
Pedro. This area was devastated by the 2004
tsunami; locals say fishing boats were found
1km inland. The shoreline is beautiful, with a
narrow white-sand beach and a coral reef off-
shore – the sea is too shallow for good swim-
ming however. You’ll pass a succession of tiny
fishing hamlets, where large rays and sharks,
as well as snapper and barracuda, are har-
vested from the ocean, their flesh sun-dried
in neat rows by the road.
Ramshackle Point Pedro is the Jaffna
peninsula’s second town; it has a few faint
hints of a lingering colonial style and was hit
hard by the 2004 tsunami. It’s still a very poor
settlement and you’ll struggle to find any-
where to eat. From Point Pedro bus station
walk 100m south and then east, passing a
curious stone tollgate that locals claim dates
from the Dutch era. Some 500m beyond, turn
left towards the sea up St Anthony’s Lane
and past the town’s two finest churches. The
coast road continues 1km east to Point Pedro
Lighthouse (off limits; no photos), beyond
which the fishermen’s beach becomes wider.
The nicest area of Munai Beach is nearly
2km further on, as are some attractive views
of Vadamaraadchi Lagoon. Three-wheelers
from central Point Pedro charge Rs 200 one-
way to Munai Beach.

Further southeast is the much-revered

Valipura Kovil, 5km from central Point Pe-

dro. Its gopuram is painted in an unusual-

ly restrained colour palette and the temple

interior has some very pretty Krishnas. It’s

famous for the boisterous, recently revived

water-cutting festival in October, which at-

tracts thousands of pilgrims. Puja is at 7am,

9.30am, noon, 4.15pm and, on Sunday, 6pm.

To Elephant Pass and the

Northeast Shore

A wonderful day trip from Jaffna on a

motorbike (or hired car/three-wheeler), this

trip takes in a famous battle site and some

spectacular coastal scenery. Don’t stray from

roads and marked tracks as this region was

fought over for many years.

Some 52km southeast of Jaffna, via the

fast, smooth A9 highway, is Elephant Pass,

a narrow causeway that connects Jaffna pen-

insula to the rest of the island. You’ll pass war

reminders along the entire route, with

bombed buildings and (marked) minefields

lining the highway.

The actual pass gets its name from the

hundreds of elephants which were herded

through here en route to India between 300

BC and the 19th century.

For most Sri Lankans the name is inexo-

rably linked with the civil war; for decades

the government and Tamil Tigers contested

control of this strategic spot – the gateway

to Jaffna – with particularly bloody battles

waged in 1991, 2000 and 2009.

Today virtually all war reminders have

been cleared except for a grandiose, vaguely

stupa-like monument which glorifies the

role of the Sri Lankan armed forces in defeat-

ing the enemy within and lauds the role of

President Rajapaksa (‘who was born for the

grace of the nation’) in triumphalist language.

The wetlands surrounding the monument

are unexpectedly beautiful, an aquamarine

Jaffna Peninsula

æ Sights 9 Thurkkai Amman Kovil...........................B 1

1 Kantarodai Ruins.....................................B 1 10 Valipura Kovil ...........................................D 1

2 Keerimalai Spring....................................B 1

3 Maviddapuram Kanthaswamy Kovil.....C 1 ÿ Sleeping

4 Naga Pooshani Amman Kovil................ A2 11 Sabins Blue Ocean Resort.....................B 2

5 Nagadipa Temple.................................... A2

Naguleswaram Shiva Kovil............. (see 2) ú Eating

6 Point Pedro Lighthouse..........................D1 12 Fort Hammenhiel Resort ........................A2

7 Ponnalai Vishnu Kovil..............................B 1 13 Sri Murugan Café....................................C 1

8 Selvachannithy Murugan Kovil..............C1