The first Tamil monthly was Sanmarkapothini which was published in 1884.[59]. [12] Excavations of black and red wares (1000BCE–100CE), grey wares (500BCE–200CE), Sasanian–Islamic wares (200BCE–800CE), Yue green wares (800–900CE), Dusun stone wares (700–1100CE) and Ming Porcelains (1300–1600CE) conducted at the Jaffna Fort hints to maritime trade between the Jaffna Peninsula and South Asia, Arabian Peninsula and the Far East. [57], Jaffna has had a media sector from the mid-1800s. [citation needed] The name also occurs on copper plates issued by Sethupathi kings of the same era.The suffix -pattinam indicates the place to have been a seaport town.. Since the 2000s Jaffna is served by newspapers such as Uthayan, Yarl Thinakkural and Valampurii. Impetus for a permanent fortified settlement happened only after 1619, when the expeditionary forces of the Portuguese Empire led by Filipe de Oliveira captured Cankili II, the last native king. The A-9 highway connecting the city with the rest of the country was opened after the 2002 ceasefire. [3] The suffix -pattinam indicates the place to have been a seaport town. During colonial times Jaffna was Ceylon's (Sri Lanka) second largest city. Ministry of Home Affairs has been established under Extra Ordinary Gazette Notification No.1933/13 of the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, published on 21 September 2016. [1] Jaffna is approximately six miles (9.7 kilometres) from Kandarodai which served as an emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical antiquity. Now defunct English weekly Saturday Review was an influential news magazine that came out of Jaffna. These early journals were followed by number popular newspapers in Tamil such as Eelakesari and Eelanadu. [60], The initiatives will facilitate the cultural, educational, municipal, business, professional and technical exchanges and projects among the sister cities. [27] Jaffnapatao was attacked number of times by A local rebel Migapulle Arachchi and his allied Thanjavur Nayakar expeditionary forces attacked Jaffnapatao a number of times, but the Portuguese defence of the city withstood the attacks. Most historic buildings such as Temples, Saraswathy Mahal library and palaces in the royal city of Nallur and the rest of Jaffna peninsula were destroyed by the Portuguese colonials. [32][broken footnote] During the Dutch period, Jaffna also became prominent as a trading town in locally grown agricultural products with the native merchants and farmers profiting as much as the VOC merchants.[33]. [46] There were 15 years without elections after 1983. Although other cities such as Kandy, Galle and Colombo had elected municipal councils soon after the 1865 ordinance, Jaffna did not have an elected municipal council for many years. Many of its Tamil residents have emigrated to the West or moved to the relative safety of Colombo. By Ifham Nizam Plans are underway to install hybrid renewable energy systems to provide clean electricity to the islands of Nagadeepa, Delft and Analativu in the Northern Province. Prior to the Sri Lankan Civil War, it was Sri Lanka's second most populous city after Colombo. [15] When the Pandyan Empire became weak due to Muslim invasions, successive Aryacakravarti rulers made the Jaffna kingdom independent and a regional power to reckon with in Sri Lanka. [clarification needed][40] Since the end of civil war in 2009, refugees have begun to return and visible reconstruction has taken place. It also has number of commercial institutions, minor industrial units, banks, hotels and other government institutions. Jaffna city was founded as a trading town by European merchants. The annual rainfall is brought in by the North East monsoon and it varies from one place to the other and also from year to year. Power and Energy Minister Dullas Alahapperuma yesterday said the total cost of the project would be USD 12 million and the Cabinet approval had been granted last […] Other notable vegetation is a leafless shrub called talai (alae africana) and koddanai (oleander). They also built Presbyterian churches and government buildings, most of which survived until the 1980s, but suffered damage or destruction during the subsequent civil war. Great Britain took over the Dutch possessions in Sri Lanka from 1796. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th most populous city. [53] In modern times, the port was its principal source of revenue but it has declined drastically. In 1986, the Sri Lankan military withdrew from the city and it came under the full control of the LTTE. The temperature is highest in the months of April – May and August – September. Prior to the civil war, the city had one of the highest literacy rates within Sri Lanka. à¶´à¶±à¶º, romanized: Yāpanaya) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. [4], The origin of the name can be traced to a legend about the town's etymology. [34] Britain maintained many of the Dutch mercantile, religious, and taxation policies. The proposed Sathi Pola construction project in Ginigathhena was designed under plan number NU/ABM/2015/203 following on a request by Ambagamuwa PS Secretary H. … [9] Iron Age urn burials including other Tamil-Brahmi inscribed potsherds found in Kandarodai, Poonakari and Anaikoddai in the Jaffna region, reflects the burial practices of older times. Politically, it was an expanding power in the 13th and 14th century with all regional kingdoms paying tribute to it. [56] The primary railway station in the city is the Jaffna Railway Station. [citation needed] The name also occurs on copper plates issued by Sethupathi kings of the same era. Further, one Municipal Council, one Urban Council and 18 Pradeshiya Sabhas are included in the district. The prosperity of the city's citizens enabled them to underwrite the building of temples and schools, and the library and museum. The city had a wide range of industries, including food processing, packaging, making of household items, and salt processing, but most ceased after 1995. The temperature is coolest in December – January. Materials from destroyed buildings were used in the construction of the Jaffna fort and other fortifications. [38] More than 200 civilians were also killed during attempt to take the city over by the IPKF. Within the Jaffna city proper, the Dutch fort is an imposing structure followed by many Dutch era homes, churches and civil buildings most of which were damaged during the civil war. Later the D.R.O.s became 'Assistant Government Agents' and the Divisions were known as 'A.G.A. Almost all Hindu temples in Jaffna including the socially important Nallur Kandaswamy temple were reconstructed during the Dutch and British period. [21] Prior to the military capitulation to the Portuguese Empire in 1619, the capital of the local Jaffna Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of the Aryacakravarti was Nallur,[21] which is close to the city limits of Jaffna. The first known English and Tamil weekly called, Uthayatharakai in Tamil or Morning Star was published jointly in 1840 by American Ceylon Mission and the Weslyan church. Post-independence the city was overtaken by the growth of settlements near Colombo. During the medieval times, the Kingdom of Aryacakravarti came into existence in the 13th Century as an ally to the Pandyan Empire in South India. [52][broken footnote] Most Sinhalese were either Buddhists or Catholics. They had according to scholars fully assimilated to Tamil language and culture by the 9th century AD or earlier.[14]. Divisions' after the 'Divisional Revenue Officer'. Prior to the civil war there were Moors, Sinhalese, Indian Tamils and other ethnic groups living in Jaffna. They were formerly known as 'D.R.O. COLOMBO(News1st): President Gotabaya Rajapaksa reassured the public that the COVID-19 inoculation program is being conducted in a systematic manner. This period saw the building of Hindu temples in the peninsula and a flourishing of literature, both in Tamil and Sanskrit. The LTTE again occupied the city from 1989 until 1995, when the Sri Lankan Army regained control. [16] Nallur a suburb of Jaffna served as the capital of the kingdom. [28] Jaffnapatao was a small town with a fort, a harbour, Catholic chapels, and government buildings. Although a historic port used by the native Jaffna kingdom was already in existence when the Portuguese arrived, it was the European mercantile activity that made it prominent. [5] The king who was delighted to the music played with the Yal by the Panan, presented him a sandy plain.