Northern Exposure A stone’s throw from the Subcontinent and just a few years removed from no-go status, the ancient bastions and open to reveal the -inflected charm of Sri ’s Tamil homelands. By Joe Cummings

Outside Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, the spiritual heart

of Jaffna. images Kennedy/getty Paul

travelandleisureasia.com november 2014 115 t took me four visits to before I finally War has a way of being a boon for natural made it to Jaffna and Trincomalee. These jewels of conservation wrapped in a curse for local lives the Northern Province had been ravaged by more and livelihoods. Some 85 percent of Sri Lanka’s than two decades of civil war. palms are found in the Northern Province, one Jaffna, though one of the oldest inhabited places of many ways in which the local geography in all of South Asia, also has been one of the most stands apart from that found in the rest of the hotly contested over the last 400 years. Tamil island nation. chieftains from India founded a powerful kingdom My first stop in the , Jaffna Fort, was known as Aryacakravarti here in the early 13th established by the Portuguese to defend their century. Financed by rich pearl and elephant exports, entrepôt from competing imperialists. Massive the dynasties dominated the northern peninsula, stone walls, flaring buttresses and deeply only to lose it all to the seafaring - recessed corridors couldn’t stop the Dutch navy un/getty images

o builders who in 1619 moved in on the calm bays and from seizing the city shortly after the citadel’s

gst lagoons of Jaffna, kicking off generations of completion. The Dutch, who expanded and o ownership disputes. Trincomalee has also long been prized territory, strengthened the fort, were in turn usurped by boasting a natural, deep-water harbor—the world’s fifth largest—that the British by the turn of the 19th century. Today, drew seafaring traders from around the globe for centuries, and the city’s most emblematic and photographed site: Kevin Cl battling navies during ’s Thirty Years War. Trinco, as it is attraction escapes its historical role on popularly known, was heavily embattled during the Sri Lankan civil weekends, when the grassy grounds and war, and further devastated by the 2004 tsunami. Now, adjacent beachfront come alive with picnic both are reawakening to the world. blankets and Tamil families clad in colorful Descending towards Jaffna’s Palaly Airport aboard a Sri Lankan saris and lungis. Fishermen moored Air Force-operated MA-60—a vivid reminder that national security Jaffna’s more ancient, spiritual heart is on . remains an issue, in ’s mind at least—I’m awed by the thick Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, a large Opposite: At Nallur hmed/getty images. oppo Kandaswamy Kovil. carpet of greenery extending between the Indian Ocean and the Bay dedicated to Murugan, one of Lord and dris A I of coasts. ’s two sons and brother of the elephant-

travelandleisureasia.com november 2014 117 I Jaffna’sbest. rolls section, banana main the near at astall M Chandresakaran, World’s Today, competition. say Louis Havana the locals Fair, beating St. the 1904 at won a medal cigars Jaffna beyond. and over Asia all shipped when were they times, colonial in staple of peninsula the a.m. 10 by left little is there selection; best the fora.m. by 6 Arrive crayfish. and cucumbers sea squid, lobster, mullet, prawn, of crab, bounty adaily with market the stock in Sri Lanka. Sri in else anywhere here than street on the badges Morris and more Austin one sees and cars, old British preserving in show interest akeen locals India, in As Buddha. in of place circles Gautama over traffic guard stand Ganesh and Murugam of Shiva, statues while skyline, on the dagobas whitewashed replace painted Gaudily kilometers. only 35 by India from Lanka Sri separates Strait Palk the as surprise Triangle. Cultural the and of tea plantations teardrop the from apart nation island another to traveled I’ve if as it’s Here, plenty of almost foreigners. other encountered I’vealways season, the where, no matter of Lanka Sri rest the throughout to my experiences contrast It’sstriking a Jaffna. Igo in everywhere case out the tonon-Tamil be turns visitor. This arches. gilded carved, by framed shrines of niche rows temple the past interior Imove through reversal, at this Smiling openness. and of humility demonstration in my shirt for me to remove he’s gesturing realize Iinstead outcaste, a foreign as entry denied to be Expecting atemple by I’m guard. stopped status, high-caste “twice-born” to display torsos their across cotton string white lungis in of old group men wrapped small a Following . tower of entwined painted abrightly by topped temple’s the sanctum, continue towards and inner attendants, with Ileave my shoes or birthright. loyalties my about devotional fuss any without Kandaswamy of gates Nallur the through I’m allowed India, India. southern in counterparts its as style much same in the walls red-and-white striped by surrounded is today and rule, British during 1807 in recently most times, several of The worship. places rebuilt temple Hindu was all of Jaffna to attempt rid their in Portuguese Catholic the by destroyed kovil The previous Ganesh. headed 118 buddha of place in circles traffic shiva guard jaffna. in ganesh and serendip than india of more there’s Keep an eye out for Jaffna cheroots, a homegrown, hand-rolled a homegrown, out eye forcheroots, an Jaffna Keep In fact there’s more of India than there is Serendip in Jaffna—no in Serendip is there there’s fact than moreIn of India hour-and-a-half the In at Nallur, Idon’t Ispend asingle spot temples at many in my completelyBut, experience with at odds n o highly regarded throughout Sri Lanka. Jaffna’s fishermen Jaffna’sfishermen Lanka. Sri throughout regarded highly also are plenty of and sunshine, soils sandy by aided mangoes, Jaffna famous. are particular in District Jaffna and Province for Northern which the plantains, and of bananas variety and number an overwhelming is I notice thing first the blocks, city several across running tin-and-wood pavilions and open-air, of alcoves shed-likeseries a Market, n Jaffna vember 2014 2014 vember travelandleisureasia.com , built in the mid-15th century, was was century, mid-15th the in , built , and bearing sacred sacred bearing , and of builders. ateam and wives two here with he returned retired, captain the After earlier. acentury Burma colonial and Pedro Point between ship trading who his plied captain sea aTamil was inhabitant home’sthe original door, next fruit-shop the owner he says chat with of Mandalay. When I me think makes air, sea the by ochre to asoft aged façade, carved-stucco The elaborate, neighbors. those of its than profile a squat with more affair two-story crumbling line. but it’s close, it’s astraight not exactly away, kilometers 3,000 At almost . the across Burma facing a road, shoreline flank villas of Victorian-inspired ofRows crumbling whiff. colonial strong another one gets Pedro, agar. agar and milk condensed cream, ice vanilla seeds, poppy nuts, cashew essence, of rose layers colorful with made smoothie Arab-Indian falooda tasty serves Road, Point Pedro on Ice Cream Rio city. the in The famous, most everywhere parlors cream ice one so finds Lanka, gumbo. Orleans New as delicious and It’s rich as before serving. tamarind of lashing a with acidified lightly and root, Palmyra ground with thickened is broth The added. may be vegetables other and spinach yams, purple to which long broth, beans, seafood into a simmered are waters local in swims that else anything and prawns cuttlefish, crab, kool Jaffna to to place order. try the is prepared This freshly all specialties, Sinhalese and Indian South Tamil, menu of Jaffna an extensive offers Kovil, Kandaswamy conveniently close to Nallur alternating with coconut. rice of steamed columns cylinder-shaped puttu tree), with which well mate benzoil or moringa the from pods (“drumstick” murunga of astir-fry and slices eggplant delicately fried are banquet out candlelit the Rounding rice. Province Northern ontosauce fragrant leftover the I’m shells, eagerly the spooning from cajoled been has crabmeat the all after Even India). in used leaves popularly dried the with contrast in here, used leaves are fresh pungent, leaves (only the curry and fenugreek chilies, redolent of gravy brown arich in smothered lagoons, nearby the from fresh blue swimmers, with made dish signature a curry, crab Jaffna serves Durairaj chef resident Selvin veranda, breezy villa’s the forwhere On Istay afew days. Dutch villa 16th-century restored impeccably an Margosa, at place Villa takes cuisine One house stands out from the rest—a out the from stands house One of Point village seaside centuries-old the In in Sri microclimate warmest the has Jaffna restaurant open-air an Mangos, Meanwhile, My initiation into Jaffna’s distinctive local local into Jaffna’sMydistinctive initiation , another regional specialty in which fish, which fish, in specialty regional , another , a thick , athick ,

clockwise from top: Joe Cummings; Paul Kennedy/getty images (2) for bananas, like these these like bananas, for T T emple of aT of emple rinco’s Koneswaram T emple Temple he north is known known is north he in Jaffna M Jaffna in Columns Columns S hiva dominates (left) housand housand (above) ; at the the ; at arket; arket; . await their fillings; a pilgrim at at apilgrim fillings; their await H Above, from left: from Above, Jaffna. in Koneswaram T oppers, aS oppers, A long the G the long ri L ri emple, T ankan staple, staple, ankan rand B rand rinco. azaar

clockwise from top left: Joe Cummings; Jonathan & Angela Scott/corbis images; Diana Mayfield/getty images. Opposite: courtesy of uga jungle beach A T international visitors seeking out long, pristine beaches north and and north beaches out long, pristine seeking visitors international alike. Buddhists and for sites potent most one of Lanka’s Sri considered is and atmosphere pious similarly a it shares Kandaswamy, Jaffna’s than Nallur it’s much Although smaller images. of original its many reinstalled temple the and restored Tamils Trincomalee 1963, In artifacts. valued its site and of historic the awareness public expanding for responsible largely was Clarke to exist,” known sculpture Hindubronze examples of finest theas “among figure century a10th- Describing 1956. Rock in Swami near diving scuba while temple’s the ruins underwater surveyed later-life Lanka, home Sri in sea. into the rest the pushed unceremoniously then and fort their of it to construct chunks used Portuguese when the 1622, world Hindu the until in wide and far known was Temple Columns called of aThousand The shrine ancient Portuguese. reassembled Actually: Portuguese. the by Dutch but built the by named Fort Frederick, Army-occupied Lankan Sri the entirely within temple the lies today Bay of the Bengal, overlooking Rock, Swami atop Perched called abluff life. religious Temple, of local focus the per person one way. one person per Trincomalee from Rp4,150 and Jaffna to Colombo from lk) Lankan Airlines X(airasia.com) AirAsia via Lumpur Kuala from (malaysiaairlines.com) com) Malaysia or Airlines Airlines Lankan Airlines (cathaypacific.com) Pacific Cathay via (srilankan.com) Airlines Lankan Sri or Airways Thai via from Colombo into direct Fly Getting There + operates domestic flights Today’s pilgrims include a steadily increasing number of number increasing include asteadily Today’s pilgrims his C. whomade Clarke, Arthur writer Noted science-fiction L Guide (singaporeair. . (thaiairways.co.th) Hindu-majority area, and my first stop is Koneswaram Koneswaram is stop my first and Hindu-majority area, is a Tamil-dominated, Trinco Jaffna, world. Like outside the attracting once again blue is whales seasonal and reefs coral endowment ofhealthy beaches, idyllic its of 2009, truce the until military workers the and but locals, all to limits off Virtually Trincomalee. to southeast me force flies MA-60 nother air ; from ; from Malaysia Malaysia or , Singapore Sri , Sri

(helitours. ; and ; and Sri , Sri two US$5. two for smoothies Jaffna; Rd., Pedro Point 448A Cream Ice Rio US$10. Bazaar, Malayan Café US$25. two for dinner Nallur, Jaffna; 94-21/222-8294; Mangos doubles from US$189. from doubles ugaescapes.com/junglebeach; 94-26/567-1000; Trincomalee; Kuchchaveli, Rd., 27, Pulmoddai Uga Jungle Beach US$110 including meals. lakpura.com; doubles from margosa-jaffna-sri-lanka. 845/154-1320; expo-pavilion- (A9), Jaffna; 94- Chundikulli, Villa Margosa US$0.50. admission Trincomalee; Rock, Jaffna Fort Jaffna. JaffnaMarket Jaffna. Rd., Vembady AB20, Temple Kandaswamy Nallur S stay eat and drink and eat ee+ Jaffna; meal fortwo 359/3 Temple Rd., Rd., 359/3 Temple D o Beach Road, Jaffna. 36-38 Grand Grand 36-38 40 Rd. Rd. Kandy 40 Hospital Road, Road, Hospital Kilometer Kilometer Swami Swami itineraries to Jaffna and and Jaffna to itineraries Style in Lanka bespoke operator Sri of help the enlisting consider untraveled, relatively still T+ by the the by L T , which creates custom custom creates , which ip As the north is is north the As under water. under found here are predators worst the of turmoil, decades—nay, after centuries— At last, trips. dive shark-viewing Island, Pigeon off nearby and, to November, March from blue migration whale the to observe trips boat open-ocean arrange can staffBeach Jungle birdlife. colorful with aflutter restaurants. no nearby are there that fact the one regretting keep from dishes Lankan Sri spicy authentically and seafood where fresh area to adining linked turn outdoor in bar, which is showers. outdoor rain and decks when using privacy to ensure estate 4-hectare the around scattered comfortably they’re and beach, the from view the not to spoil as so construction— resort’s the during cut were trees line—I’m told tree only two the that behind well sit villas Low-profile yet luxurious area. parking the from greenery native the through entry adramatic sheltered makes palm-thatch, by Uga by Escapes. Beach Jungle area, the in to open resort first at the in settle I forest, coastal well-preserved remarkably of by golden backed sand 4-kilometer expanse At Kuchchaveli, awide ofsouth Trinco. travelandleisureasia.com Inland lies huge Periyakarachchi Lagoon, Lagoon, huge Periyakarachchi lies Inland into acozy segues pool tropical A freeform, bridge, timber-and-bamboo A sturdy + srilankainstyle.com. 94-11/239-6666; cool accommodations. unique, and immersion cultural on focusing country) the of rest the as well (as Trincomalee

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