  The joy of being in Jaffna
by Nilma Dole
 The yearning to make the journey
to Jaffna is a discerning one. Today, everybody wants to go up North
after the dawn of peace and it is now becoming one of the most-visited
places in the country.
Reaching Jaffna by aeroplane rather than the long journey on the A9
highway, you get a sense of real Jaffna feeling, like a magical
wonderland. Having a peninsula with its scattered islands at the
northern tip gives Sri Lanka its pearldrop shape. Jaffna is indeed
beautiful.
Nearly touching India, the name Jaffna is Yarlpanam in Tamil which
means ‘harp’ and ‘town’, where it combines to give the meaning of ‘town
of (the) harper’.
Lawyer Shereen explained that according to etymologists, Yarlpanam
became Yappanam, Jappanam, Jaffanam and then became Jaffna during the
Portuguese and the Dutch period. She said, “A wandering minstrel or
‘panan’ from Tamil Nadu came with his lute-like instrument (or ‘Yarl’)
and sang before the King of the then Uttara Desam (northern country).”
 The King was said to have been awe-struck by the performance that he
presented the minstrel with the peninsula earlier known as the Manattri
of sandy track. She said,”The yarlpanam (minstrel) along with his lute
returned with his settlers and populated Jaffna.”
Decorated with palmyra trees and flat semi-forest land, you can
faintly see the shocking devastation that had gripped the Northern
Province for the past decades. But, you also see smiling faces of people
with new buildings, brightly-coloured guesthouses and even a pizza
parlour to allure and dazzle you in Jaffna. Ready for a new beginning
and a positive future, you see it in the eyes of the Jaffna people that
they are ever ready to meet their countrymen from all corners parts of
the country, to make friends.
On any given day, many devotees pay homage to the magnificent temples
in Jaffna including the renowned Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil. In addition,
take a trip to Kayts, Delft, Kakaraitivu, Chirutivu (Sirutivu) or the
other islands to make your journey to Jaffna pleasant. The armed forces
also do a great job of maintaining peace and have made Jaffna safer for
travel anywhere so you needn’t worry.
As for food, Jaffna has some of the delicious dishes ever to try some
mango-flavoured toddy at Manatthri made from palmyra liquid and savour
succulent seafood including Jaffna crab. What’s more, no adventure is
complete without mingling with the locals and understanding that they
are very friendly and amiable people. This definitely sums up your visit
to Jaffna making it a joy and a holiday to remember!
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