Beautiful Jaffna

Beautiful Jaffna, a set on Flickr.

I have just spent the weekend in Jaffna, a 10 hour bus journey from Colombo and situated close to the northernmost tip of the island. The town is nearer to India than the Sri Lankan capital and is home to a largely Tamil and Hindu population. It really couldn't feel more different to the the city in which I live, not only as a result of the language spoken and the religious buildings and symbols on show, but also owing to the signs of the 25 year conflict which most profoundly affected this part of the country. Bullet marked, bombed out and abandoned homes still serve as reminders of it's recent history. Only now accessible to visitors after many years, it is difficult to put into words the sad and strange beauty of Jaffna, a place which is also so full of life, vibrancy and colour.

My first taste of a Hundu puja at the Nallur Kandaswamy Temple was an experience that I will not forget for some time. My heart definitely beat a little faster as I watched the noisy, colourful and slightly chaotic ritual (although I can't be sure this was not at least in part due to a sugar rush following the super sweet bowl of ice cream consumed just before our visit!). So too with my first trip in a Jaffna trishaw, which comes with added luminous lighting and blaring Hindi music. And the intensity and variety of staring that I was subjected to could most definitely provide me with a whole new chapter in my Sri Lankan classification blog post.

Thanks to my fantastic hostess, Jo, and the rest of the Jaffna crew for a wonderful weekend of scooter rides to the beach, Rio ice creams, hand-washing with a view, expert walking tours, delicious home cooked curry, exceptional puddings and a fantastic (if a little underused) slidey dance floor. I will most definitely return. Here are a few shots of the place that demands to be captured on film. I hope I have done it justice.