Velanai
Encyclopedia
Velanaiis a small village
in Velanai Island
which is in off the coast of Jaffna Peninsula
in the North of Sri Lanka
.
.
The majority of the people are Hindus along with a minority of Christians. There are number of Hindu Temples along with few Church. The village is also served by a dozen schools. Sir Vaithilingam Duraiswamy a well known member of parliament during the British
colonial period and his son Yogendra Duraiswamy
a Hindu activist and well known diplomat were born in Velanai.
Since 1983 Velanai has also been the scene of violence as part of the Sri Lankan civil war
including the Allaipiddy massacre
( (Murugan
). Because god Murugan worship is so popular among all the peoples in Velanai.
town. Though most of Velani district is a level plain and also has maximum elevation of 15 metres (49.2 ft) above mean sea level. The total area of the this island is nearly 36 km2.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Velanai Island
Velanai Island
Velanai Island, also known as Leiden in Dutch, is a small island off the coast of Jaffna Peninsula in the North of Sri Lanka. There are number of villages within the island such as Allaipiddy, Mankumpan, Velanai, Saravanai, Puliyankoodal, Suruvil, Naranthanai and Karampan.The majority of the people...
which is in off the coast of Jaffna Peninsula
Jaffna Peninsula
The Jaffna Peninsula is an area in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is home to the capital city of the province, Jaffna and comprises much of the former land mass of the ancient Tamil kingdoms of the Nagas and the medieval Jaffna kingdom. The peninsula is mostly surrounded by water, connected to...
in the North of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
.
The majority of the people are Hindus along with a minority of Christians. There are number of Hindu Temples along with few Church. The village is also served by a dozen schools. Sir Vaithilingam Duraiswamy a well known member of parliament during the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonial period and his son Yogendra Duraiswamy
Yogendra Duraiswamy
Yogendra Duraiswamy, SLOS was a Sri Lankan diplomat, who served in India, Myanmar, the United States , Australia, Iraq, Italy, China and the Philippines.-Early life and education:...
a Hindu activist and well known diplomat were born in Velanai.
Since 1983 Velanai has also been the scene of violence as part of the Sri Lankan civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
including the Allaipiddy massacre
Etymology
The name Velanai is believed to have been derived from the name of the Tamil god VelanVelan
Velan may refer to:* Velan, a non-Brahmanical priest associated with Hindu deity, Murugan.-Places:* Mont Vélan, a mountain in the Pennine Alps, between Switzerland and Italy.* Velan, Albania, a settlement in Albania....
( (Murugan
Murugan
Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
). Because god Murugan worship is so popular among all the peoples in Velanai.
Archaeological evidence
Received per-historic archaeological evidence of ancient life in Saatti sea side suggested that there was a well organized civilization emerged in this island.Geography and climate
Velani is located at 9.40°N 79.54°E. It is surrounded by the Palk Strait and at a distance of 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south-west of JaffnaJaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
town. Though most of Velani district is a level plain and also has maximum elevation of 15 metres (49.2 ft) above mean sea level. The total area of the this island is nearly 36 km2.