Mannar, known as Manthota or Manthei in ancient times,was one of the most important ports in the country during that time.Today it is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The word Mannar means silt river.This town which was popular for pearl fishing during the Portuguese and the Dutch eras is now very popular for its dried fish. The island of Mannar consists of two main towns; Mannar and Talaimannar.

Talaimannar is believed to be the only part of Sri Lanka, where fishermen could go into the sea for fishing all around the year. The city is fast developing following the end of the nearly 30 year long conflict. Today the people enjoy freedom at its best even though security personnel are still present in the area.There are many interesting places and things to see in Mannar. The beauty of the ocean and the sunset alone are mesmerizing..

Today, we enlighten you about a few of the attractions which include fauna and flora and strategic places of the island.

The Baobab tree

When you travel for about 500m, along the Pallimunai Street from Mannar town you will come across a gigantic tree surrounded by a fence on to your left.This tree is identified as a baobab tree. Did you know that this tree holds the record as the tree with the largest circumference found in Sri Lanka?

It is 19.5 metres in circumference and 7.5 metres in height. According to history, this tree is believed to have been planted by Arabic merchants in 1477. The baobab tree is native to Africa, Madagascar, and Australia. The villagers refer to this tree as (Elephant tree) or perukka in Tamil. According to a research carried out in 2003, there are 40 baobab trees in the country with 34 of these found in Mannar. There are around five trees along the Talaimannar road.The main baobab tree, the oldest and the largest on the Pallumunai Street, is believed to be around 800 years old, while the other trees are around 400 years old.

Donkeys

Even though it is Puttlam which is famous for donkeys these animals are also a common sight in this part of the country.Scientifically known as Equus africanus asinus, it is a member of the horse family. The colour of its coat can vary from brown to black or ash.

There are hundreds of donkeys roaming the streets of Mannar.

According to the people of the area, the donkeys are the decendents of the animals originally brought down from Somalia by Arabian merchants. Today there are more donkeys in Mannarthan in Puttlam.

The residents say that though these animals are generally not noisy creatures, the sound of their braying is very difficult to tolerate. Their braying is a high-pitched tone which sounds like hee-hoe. In general, these donkeys roam around in groups of three.

Fort of Mannar

Once you enter the town via the bridge crossing the causeway, you can see the Fort of Mannar at a distance.The Fort was originally constructed by the Portuguese in 1506. However, in 1658 the Dutch captured the Fort and rebuilt it in 1696. Later, the English took over the custody of the Fort which comprises four bastions and it is still in good condition. However, presently the Fort of Mannar is out of bounds to the public, as it houses an Army Camp.

Adam's Bridge

Adam's bridge is also known as Rama's bridge or Rama Setu. This is a chain of limestone shoals between Pamban Island, off Southwestern coast of Tamil Nadu and the Mannar Island. According to geologists, this was a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka. The bridge is 30 km long and is believed to have been a continuous structure during the olden days. However, now it is separated into 18 parts.The Sri Lankan Navy governs nine of them and other nine belongs to the Indian Navy.

The bridge separates the Gulf of Mannar from the Palk Strait. Some of these sandbanks are dry and the sea around them is very shallow. It is said that during the bygone days people reached India on foot along the bridge. First mention of the bridge is in the ancient Sanskrit epic, Ramayana of Valmiki.

Starting from April 10,this year,the Sri Lanka Navy organised trips for the public to view the second section of Adam's Bridge. If the weather is good and the sea is not rough, the Navy conducts boat trips from 8 a.m to 4 p.m every day.

The boat trip is 15 km from the mainland to the sea. People can walk on the sand bank and spend some time there.

"Visitors are not expected to bring anything for the trip. We provide everything including food and water. Only thing is that they should not litter the sand bank," said a Navy official.

Talaimannar Lighthouse

Situated at the end of Talaimannar Road is the Talaimannar pier. This ancient light house is a construction done by the British in 1915. It is a white concrete round cylindrical tower with a height of 17 metres.Every five second,a light which has the luminous range of 10 NM flashes as a beacon to vessels out at sea.According to an Army officer the lighthouse is not used at present even though it is in working condition.

Talaimannar Pier

Talaimannar Pier is situated next to the lighthouse. Part of the pier had been destroyed during the conflict.

The construction of the Rail Bridge across the Palk Strait had been proposed originally by the British Government in 1894, mainly to facilitate the transportation of workers from Tamil Nadu for the tea plantations in Sri Lanka. The pier projects from the mainland and supports a double railway track. In 1964, the pier was damaged by a cyclone. After three years, this was repaired and the ferry service operated until 1983.

In June 1990, the railway service between Talaimannar and Medawachchiya came to a standstill following damage to the railway line by the LTTE.

Text and pix: Janani Amarasekara