Jaffna Library, Jaffna is one of the most-visited tourist attractions in Jaffna in Sri Lanka. Before the burning of the Jaffna Library, Jaffna during the Sri Lankan civil war, the library used to be the biggest library in Asia.
Jaffna Info
Jaffna, situated in Sri Lanka's Northern Province, is home to Sri Lankan Tamils. The city is nestled in the Jaffna Peninsula. It had been under the rule of the Portuguese and the Dutch. It is landscaped by shallow lagoons and stunning islands situated off the coast of Jaffna.
Jaffna Tourist Attractions
There is no dearth of places for sightseeing in Jaffna. Some of the popular tourist attractions in Jaffna are:
Nallur Temple, Jaffna
Selva Sannithi Temple
Nagapoosani Temple (Nainatheevu)
Jaffna Library, Jaffna
Jaffna Library, Jaffna: Before the burning of the library
The Jaffna Library in Jaffna was built over a number of years beginning from the year 1933. However the library was opened to public by the mayor of Jaffna, Alfred Duraiappah, in 1959. The library was built in the Indo-Saracenic style. The architecture of the library resembled that that of the Narasimhan in Madras. It was a treasure trove of palm leaf manuscripts, ancient documents relating to the the country's political history and newspapers published in Jaffna peninsula hundreds of years ago.
Jaffna Library, Jaffna: Burning of Jaffna Library
In the year of 1981 on 31st May, the Tamil United Liberation Front organized a rally in Jaffna. In the rally 3 Sinhalese policemen were killed. During the night of 31st May the Jaffna Library was attacked and burned by government hired thugs. In the fire more than 97,000 volumes of books were destroyed. Scrolls, manuscripts and various important works of Ananda Coomaraswamy were destroyed in the fire. The articles that were burned contained the works of dramatists and writers who contributed towards sustaining the culture of Tamil.
Jaffna Library, Jaffna: Presently...
Jaffna Library reopened in 1982. The building underwent repairs. Many books were collected. The library was again attacked by the police in 1985. Again, many books were destroyed. Under the presidentship of Chandrika Kumaratunga the library building was restored Presently the library is open to the public.
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