Jaffna Fort

After breakfast we continued on our tour of Jaffna with our first stop at the Fort.  In years long past, I had spent several afternoons exploring this area while the others were watching cricket, a game I did not understand at that time, so I was looking forward to this visit. 

Jaffna town seemed mostly very familiar so I was expecting the Fort to be familiar too. Local people had told me that it had been the scene of a siege during the Thirty Year Tamil War and that it was now repaired. Not so. I learned that the Tigers had actually held it for far longer, until 1995, with the Sri Lankan Army regaining possession after a daring Air Force raid to end a seven week siege, bringing food and medical supplies to the troops as well as removing the wounded.  The government, with assistance from the Netherlands, is pouring money into the repairs which are said to be sixty percent completed. A lot of work certainly has been done, however, I found the atmosphere  eerily quiet and abandoned, very much a scene of destruction.

Nagadipa or Naga diva was the ancient name for the Jaffna peninsular and is sometimes used today. Nagadipa was an important sea port and, being so very close to India, was an entry for the South Indian Kings who regularly invaded the country. The Indians weren't the only invaders, of course, and it was the conquering Portuguese who first built the Fort in 1618. They constructed it as a square type shape with the southern wall on the shallow water of the lagoon.

Along came the Dutch looking to protect and expand their trade in this strategic part of the Indian Ocean. In 1658 they chased  the Portuguese out, took over the Fort and expanded it making a five sided structure with their church a feature.

Jaffna Fort

The Dutch finished their renovation in 1680, as marked on the Entrance Arch.

Entrance to the Inner Pentagon, Jaffna Fort

Graffiti or legitimate records? Jaffna Fort

I noticed this writing on the wall of the Entrance Arch but there were no clues as to what it was about in the information area.

Jaffna Fort

The Dutch ruled very severely. . .

Gallows right on top so emphasise control

 . . .  letting all around know who was in control.

Surprisingly, they handed it over to the British without even putting up a fight in 1795. The British held it until 1948.

Inside the Jaffna Fort

Unlike other Forts in Sri Lanka and other parts of Asia, the Jaffna Fort  always had a garrison and administrative function rather than a fortified walled city.

Jaffna Fort

The British maintained a residence there, Queens House, for visiting authorities and this was continued after Independence from Britain with various Sri Lankan Prime Ministers and Governors staying there.

Embedded coral showing in the renovations

There are reports that during the Thirty Year War, the Fort has seen thousands of acts of violence and this seems to be verified by the many human remains being found during the renovation process. I am glad I was unaware of this information at the time of my visit and, had I known, I probably would not have gone there. Several other interesting finds have been made including pottery and artifacts that date BC, I was told.

Now that the war is over, the Sri Lankan government has plans for increased tourism, with Jaffna and its Fort being some of the star attractions. For me, I prefer to remember it as it was almost half a century ago.