Kilinochchi

WHAT

It is a bustling trading port and a place, where the north and the south join. It is a short stay between Anuradhapura and Jaffna. The main occupation of the area is agriculture. It suffered from a 30-year military occupation and civil war and today it is open to visitors, who are again able to see the historical monuments. Lumbini Temple (Viharaya) and Iranamadu Tank are the most significant places to visit. History of Kilinochchi goes back to the period from the 5th century BC to the 13th century AD, when Kilinochchi was a part of Rajarata. After that it was a part of the pre-colonial Jaffna Kingdom. Both Hinduism and Buddhism had an important influence on the culture and the methods of governance. South Indian invasions were the major threat besides the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. Kilinochchi was one of the centres of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (L.T.T.E.) during the civil war and was regained in late 2008/early 2009 by the Sri Lankan military. Many buildings or their ruins demonstrate the history of Kilinochchi.