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sea fringed by patches of white sand and man-
groves, with lots of wading birds in evidence.
From the monument it’s a short hop south
over the causeway to the Elephant Pass
restaurant, which has good-value meals (Rs
200-400), and then on to the town of Kilino-
chchi, 15km away.
Returning 9km back towards Jaffna there’s
a turnoff which heads north to the coast, 8km
away. It’s a gloriously isolated road, which
traverses a couple of villages and a long
slender lagoon before hitting the shore at
Chempiyanpattu. There’s a stunning beach
here, a classic tropical picture of white sand,
azure ocean and swaying coconut palms,
though absolutely no facilities – perfect if you
really want to get away from it all. Most of the
abandoned houses visible from here all the
way up the entire shoreline to Point Pedro,
were destroyed by the 2004 tsunami.
If you head back from Chempiyanpattu
beach, you can follow a lonely coastal road
which heads northwest up the narrow penin-
sula, with the shore to your east and a beauti-
ful lagoon on your west side. The first 7km or
so is paved, then there’s a 15km stretch which
is well-maintained dirt track, while the final
7km or so is paved before you hit Point Pedro.
Sections of the coastal land are controlled by
the army and minefields were being cleared
here when we passed through, so don’t stray
from the road. Expect to encounter monkeys,
monitor lizards and lots of birdlife on the way.
You’ll eventually arrive in Point Pedro, a
humdrum port of little interest, from where
you can loop back to Jaffna.Jaf f na’s Islands
The highlight of the entire region, Jaffna’s
low-lying islands are a blissful vision of the
tropics. The main pleasure is not any specific
sight, but the hypnotic quality of the water-
scapes and the escapist feeling of boat rides to
end-of-the-earth villages.
As the sea here is very shallow (only a
metre or so deep in places) the light is very
special indeed, with sunlight bouncing off the
sandy seafloor. The islands are all dotted with
palmyra palms – their fronds are used for
fencing and roofs, while their sap produces a
mildly alcoholic toddy.
Causeways and boat connections link the
islands, making a number of idyllic daytrips
possible. One option is to head from Jaff-
na city to Velanai and then to the island
of Punkudutivu, ferry-hopping from here
across to the temples of Nainativu and then
returning by Kayts and Karaitivu island to
the mainland. The second option is an excur-
sion to remote, idyllic Neduntivu (Delft).
The LTTE was once active on these waters,
and the Sri Lankan Navy presence continues
to be strong; in fact, the Navy itself conducts
most ferry services.
The islands’ beaches may not be quite as
beautiful as those on the South coast, but they
do offer pleasant swimming in balmy water.
Women should swim in T-shirts and shorts.
Bus connections to the islands are not that
frequent, for details see p270. The ideal way to
explore these islands is on two wheels, giving
you the freedom to pull over when and whereTAMIL TIGER BURIAL GROUNDS
Although bodies of the deceased are generally cremated in Hindu tradition, those of LTTE
fighters were buried instead, beneath neatly lined rows of identical stones. The fallen
Tigers were called maaveerar – ‘martyrs’ or ‘heroes’ – and their cemeteries Maaveerar
Thuyilum Illam (Martyrs’ Sleeping Houses). The tradition of burial began in the 1990s, not
long after the 1989 initiation of Maveerar Naal (Heroes Day), held each year on 27 Novem-
ber. The cemeteries were controversial: many saw them as a natural way to honour those
who died; for others, they were a propaganda tool.
When the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) took control of the Jaffna peninsula in 1995, it de-
stroyed many of the cemeteries, only to have the LTTE build them up again after the 2002
ceasefire. But when the SLA conquered areas in the East in 2006 and 2007, and then again
after the war’s end in 2009, all cemeteries (and other LTTE monuments) across the North
and East were bulldozed anew – to the distress of many Tamils, especially family members
of the deceased. The SLA went further in early 2011 by building a military base on the site
of a cemetery at Kopay, just a few kilometres northeast of Jaffna. According to the BBC,
the army claimed to be unaware of any ‘unhappiness’ over the site.
An online Maaveerar Thuyilum Illam, including the names and burial places of many
Tigers, is maintained at http://www.maaveerarillam.com.