Misplaced Pages

#815184

49-518: Between the 5th century BC and 13th century AD, what is now Mannar District was part of Rajarata . Parts Mannar District were thereafter part of the pre-colonial Jaffna kingdom . The district then came under Portuguese , Dutch and British control. In 1815 the British gained control of the entire island of Ceylon . They divided the island into three ethnic based administrative structures: Low Country Sinhalese, Kandyan Sinhalese and Tamil. The district

98-545: A Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent). The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 153 Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN Divisions). Mannar District's population was 99,051 in 2012. The population of the district is mostly Sri Lankan Tamil. The population of the district, like the rest of the north and east of Sri Lanka, has been heavily affected by the civil war. The war killed an estimated 100,000 people. Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as one million, emigrated to

147-594: A history of more than 400 years. Now also there are some ancient materials inside the church boundary which were protected and maintained by the very people who live in the suburb. Now the Church is being reconstructed by the village people. There are also few Protestant/Christian Churches in Mannar. Methodist is one of a Senior church started in Mannar in the history and the Ceylon Pentecostal Mission

196-574: A reduction in travel distance of more than 350 nautical miles (650 km) (for larger ships). The project is expected to provide a boost to the economic and industrial development of coastal Tamil Nadu. The project will be of particular significance to Jaffna, Kankesanthurai, Mannar, Point Pedro and Tuticorin harbour. Tuticurin has the potential to transform itself into a nodal port. The Tamil Nadu Government has announced its proposal to develop 13 minor ports, including Ennore, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thondi, Valinokam, Kolachel and Kanyakumari. Development of

245-475: A safe haven. Mukkuvars who were at war with Portuguese also came from Kerala and Cochin to escape the ethnic cleansing by Portuguese. Mannar also had a Muslim Member of Parliament. Human tragedy of 1990 involved in the expulsion resulted in Muslims walking 50 kilometers to the safety of Puttalam through Wilpattu National Park . Mannar District has 5 local authorities of which one is an Urban Council and

294-454: A supply of fresh water from aquifers and it was used in successful cultivation. It only exists in the areas where red yellow latosol exists. These types of aquifers do not exist where reddish brown earth is found. The rest of the Vanni area is void of perennial supply of fresh water. Mannar District is unique in its vegetation and wildlife, contrasting with rest of Sri Lanka. Mannar Island

343-602: Is one of the few places in Sri Lanka where baobab trees thrive. Monkeys love the fruit and hence the tree is sometimes known as the monkey-bread tree. The dugong is a medium-sized marine mammal which is found in Mannar Bay, Nachchikuda, Jaffna island and near Adam's Bridge . IUCN conservation status is vulnerable because of over-hunting for food and accidental capture in fishing nets . A critically endangered tarantula species known as Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica

392-641: Is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka , the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils . Between 1988 and 2006 the province was temporarily merged with the Northern Province to form the North Eastern Province . The capital of

441-538: Is part of the 'Catholic Belt' extending from Negombo to Jaffna . Portuguese first arrived in Colombo and established Catholicism in areas around Chilaw and further expanded their rule into Nagar Kovil, Kanyakumari and Tuticorin area. Thus the whole of Gulf of Mannar could be called a Catholic Belt. The ancient Madu Church is one of the ancient churches in Asia and located near Murunkan. An ancient Kali Temple

490-416: Is second to it. The Gospel Grace Church was started in 1984. My Saviour's Church, Philedephiya Full Gospel Church, Assemble of God & Christian Fellowship Church are also old churches in Mannar more than 10 years. Two great Sivan temples in Mannar were demolished by Portuguese. The new Thiruketheeswaram is built after the independence and it houses all the archeological finds of Hindu artefacts unearthed in

539-523: The Colebrooke-Cameron Commission , the ethnic based administrative structures were unified into a single administration divided into five geographic provinces. The districts of Batticaloa , Bintenna (part of present-day Badulla District ), Tamankaduva (present day Polonnaruwa District ) and Trincomalee formed the new Eastern Province. Tamankaduva was transferred to the newly created North Central Province in 1873 and Bintenna

SECTION 10

#1732765044816

588-671: The International Crisis Group . Since the end of the war the Eastern Province has seen considerable development under the Nagenahira Navodaya (Eastern Revival) program which include various agricultural, infrastructural and Social development projects. These include the construction and repairing of roads, schools, hospitals, resettlement of IDPs and construction of Nanasala ICT centers. There are currently 88 Nanasala ICT education centers in

637-773: The Trincomalee Harbour , construction of the Sampur Power Station , Development of Maritime park and a Maritime Museum in Trincomalee, creation of the Sampur industrial zone, development of bus stands, canals and the Oluvil Harbour in Ampara district. Eastern province has an area of 9,996 square kilometres (3,859 sq mi). The province is surrounded by the Northern Province to

686-668: The United National Party 1 seat. On 10 December 1988 Annamalai Varatharajah Perumal of the EPRLF became the first Chief Minister of the North-East Provincial Council. On 1 March 1990, just as the IPKF were preparing to withdraw from Sri Lanka, Permual moved a motion in the North-East Provincial Council declaring an independent Eelam . President Premadasa reacted to Permual's UDI by dissolving

735-542: The West during the war. Many Sri Lankan Tamils also moved to the relative safety of the capital Colombo . Most of the Sri Lankan Moors and Sinhalese who lived in the district fled to other parts of Sri Lanka or were forcibly expelled by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, though most of them have returned to the district since the end of the civil war. Mannar is a predominantly Catholic Christian area. There

784-412: The "Granary of Sri Lanka". It contributes 25% of national paddy production, 17% of national milk production, and 21% of national fish production. Maize cultivation is expanding, large scale maize cultivation with hybrid seeds and contractual marketing has increased production significantly and it is targeted to produce 25 per cent of the country's maize requirement. The industrial sector contributed 34% of

833-679: The Eastern Province. Other Projects include reconstructing the Walai Iravu bridge which was destroyed by the LTTE, developing the Weber stadium in the Batticaloa town, increasing agricultural production, construction of Manmunai , Vavunativu and New Oddamavadi bridges, carpeting roads, constructing 48,000 houses in the Eastern province for the people who live below the poverty line, developing

882-591: The Magha's administration at Pollonnaruwa. The Sinhalese gathered around inaccessible towns, fortresses and mountains including Yapahuwa and Gangadoni under army generals including Subha and Sankha. Because of the rising threat, Pandyan troops established an administration centre in Jaffna Peninsula which was more secure and isolated by the impenetrable Vanni forest. Later Rajarata was annexed by king Parakramabahu II(1236–70). His power extended over Rohana,

931-952: The Malvatu Oya delta. According to Mahavamsa , various groups came from India in the period between Prince Vijaya and King Pandukabhaya's reign, frequently settling along the Malvathu Oya. In 377 BCE, King Pandukabhaya moved the administrative centre to Anuradhapura . Most of the settlements were located near rivers and reservoirs. Water was used for agricultural purposes. According to the Yodha wewa area in Mannar District by King Dhatusena, Eropathana in Vavuniya District , Padawiya area in Anuradhapura District and Mullaitivu District by King Moggallana II

980-553: The North-East Province, rigged the elections in the north so that the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF), two Indian backed paramilitary groups, won all of the 36 seats in the north uncontested. However, elections did take place for the 35 seats in the east. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress won 17 seats, EPRLF 12 seats, ENDLF 5 seats and

1029-740: The Northern Province. It has an area of 1,996 square kilometres (771 sq mi). Murunkan (English = cracked earth) is due to the black clay surface which is cracked while dry, is the place where the Giant's Tank is situated. It has montmorillonite clay and is the only place in Sri Lanka where this kind of clay can be obtained. This clay is used in making cement. Aruvi Aru is the second longest river in Sri Lanka and runs through Mannar and Anuradhapura districts. Mannar has artesian springs and aquifers . These water supply comes from Sri Lanka's central areas. The Northern Province has

SECTION 20

#1732765044816

1078-727: The Province's GDP and export processing zones like the Trincomalee EPZ and Sampur Heavy Industrial Zone have been developed to boost the industrial sector alongside the Trincomalee Harbour , which is being developed for Break bulk , Bulk cargo and industrial activities including heavy industries. The province benefits from a large tourism industry with many seaside resorts and hotels situated mainly in lagoons as well as beaches such as Pasikudah , Nilaveli , Uppuveli and Kalkudah . Historic sites and other natural attractions such as Pigeon Island , coral reefs contribute to

1127-769: The accord allowed the Sri Lankan president to postpone the referendum at his discretion. On 14 November 1987 the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka and the Provincial Councils Act No 42 of 1987, establishing provincial councils. On September 2 and 8 1988 President Jayewardene issued proclamations enabling the Northern and Eastern provinces to be one administrative unit administered by one elected Council. The North-East Province

1176-565: The area. Several Hindu celebereties have visited Thiruketheeswaram including Appar , Sundarar and Sambanthar . Mannar had a large Moor population for a long time before the forced expulsion of Muslims by the LTTE in 1990. Muslims did not support a separate Tamil Eelam . In 1503, Vasco Da Gama expelled all the Muslims during his rule of Indian Portuguese Territory as part of the war against Turkey and its allies. At that time Hindu kings were ruling Jaffna Kingdom and Muslim refugees who fled from Portuguese rule were accepted in Mannar as

1225-438: The canal and ports is also expected to provide increased maritime security for Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. All the other harbours of Sri Lanka will get bypassed by the ships and Indian harbours will be servicing the shipping traffic. As such a hundred million dollar project needs to be started to build a modern harbour in Mannar to compete. The location of such a harbour can be on the northern side and southern side of Mannar as both

1274-643: The central hills, Rajarata and the Vanni. The Sinhalese tried to re-establish the administrative centre in Rajarata but this never happened because of constant battles with invaders from south India. The administration centre was moved away from Rajarata by the Sinhalese. The defeat of Pandyan in South India in the rising Mogul empires weakened the Tamil power in Sri Lanka. The last Pandyan ruler of Madurai,

1323-472: The early 13th century CE. Several ancient cities, including Tambapanni, Upatissa Nuwara, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, were established as capitals within the area by successive rulers. Rajarata was under the direct administration of the King (raja/king, rata/country). Two other areas, Mayarata and Ruhunurata, were ruled by the king's brothers "Mapa" and "Epa" . The Magha invasion in the 13th century brought about

1372-473: The end of the Rajarata kingdom. The first kingdom in Rajarata was established by Prince Vijaya in 543 BCE. He settled near the delta of the Malvathu River between Chilaw and Mannar . According o a local myth, Prince Vijaya married a local princess, Kuveni , to gain control of Rajarata. With her help, he betrayed and killed all of the regional leaders. After his death, the administrative center

1421-536: The extent of Sri Lanka's golden civilization spread to the southern boundary of the Vanni forest . The thick Vanni forest acted as a barrier to colonizers above the southern border of the forest. Tanks built during the Anuradhapura era (Giant's, Padaviya, Minneriya, Kantale, Mahavillachchiya, Thabbowa, Kala) are proof of the early settlements in Rajarata area. Initial settlements based near rivers: Boundaries of

1470-551: The indiscriminate firearm use by various Tamil factions government planned to disarm Tamil Paramilitary groups. However the TMVP kept arms due to threat of LTTE and denied they were active in Civilian areas. TMVP was finally disarmed in 2009 after the LTTE was defeated. The Eastern Province has received at least $ 500 million from international donors since coming under the control of the government of Sri Lanka in 2007, according to

1519-574: The industry. The 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. The first elections for provincial councils took place on 28 April 1988 in North Central , North Western , Sabaragamuwa , and Uva provinces. Elections in the newly merged North-East Province were scheduled for 19 November 1988. However, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), which at that time occupied

Mannar District - Misplaced Pages Continue

1568-672: The north, the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Southern Province to the south, and the Uva , Central and North Central provinces to the west. The province's coast is dominated by lagoons , the largest being Batticaloa Lagoon , Kokkilai lagoon , Upaar Lagoon and Ullackalie Lagoon . The Eastern Province is divided into 3 administrative districts , 45 Divisional Secretary's Divisions (DS Divisions) and 1,085 Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN Divisions). The Eastern province's population

1617-410: The province is Trincomalee . Kalmunai is the largest and most populous city of Eastern Province. In 1815 the British gained control of the entire island of Ceylon . They divided the island into three ethnic based administrative structures: Low Country Sinhalese, Kandyan Sinhalese and Tamil . The Eastern Province was part of the Tamil administration. In 1833, in accordance with the recommendations of

1666-759: The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam controlling this province, directly or indirectly, alarmed them greatly. On 14 July 2006, after a long campaign against the merger, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna political party filed three separate petitions with the Supreme Court requesting a separate provincial council for the East. On 16 October 2006 the Supreme Court ruled that the proclamations issued by President Jayewardene were null and void and had no legal effect. The North-East Province

1715-459: The relative safety of the capital Colombo . The conflict has also caused some of the Tamils, Moors and Sinhalese who lived in the province to flee to other parts of Sri Lanka, though most of them have returned to the province since the end of the civil war. Islam is the plurality religion in Eastern Province. The Eastern Province has a primarily agriculture-based economy and is commonly known as

1764-545: The remaining 4 are Divisional Councils (Pradesha Sabhai or Pradeshiya Sabha). Mannar has an ancient port which needs to be expanded into a large harbour like Rameshwaram Harbour. The present ' Sethusamudram Project' by the Indian Government will bring 90% of the shipping traffic very near to the Mannar Harbour. The strategic advantages derive from obtaining a navigable sea route close to the coast, with

1813-417: The sides can cater for deep sea vessels. The project has been criticized by some environmentalists. Rajarata Rajarata ( Sinhala : රජරට , romanized:  rajaraṭa ( IPA: [rad͡ʒəraʈə] ); Tamil : ரஜரட , romanized:  rajaraṭa ; meaning "King's country") was one of three historical regions of the island of Sri Lanka for about 1,700 years from the 6th century BCE to

1862-645: The three divisions (Rata): In 1215, Kalinga Magha invaded Rajarata with an army of 24,000 soldiers . After the conquest of Rajarata, Magha established his capital in Pollonnaruwa. Then the Kalinga forces extended their power to the Malaya Rata. During the rise of the Kingdom of Dambadeniya under the king Vijayabahu III (1220-1224 CE), Magha lost the control of Malaya Rata. The native Sinhalese resisted

1911-416: Was 1,551,381 in 2012. The province is the most diverse in Sri Lanka, both ethnically and religiously. The population of the province, like that of the Northern Province, was heavily affected by the civil war . The war killed an estimated 100,000 people. Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as one million, emigrated to the West during the war. Many Sri Lankan Tamils also moved to

1960-469: Was born. The proclamations were only meant to be a temporary measure until a referendum was held in the Eastern Province on a permanent merger between the two provinces. However, the referendum was never held and successive Sri Lankan presidents issued proclamations annually extending the life of the "temporary" entity. The merger was bitterly opposed by Sri Lankan nationalists. The combined North-East Province occupied one fourth of Sri Lanka. The thought of

2009-522: Was defeated and expelled in 1323 by Malik Kafur , the army general of the Muslim empire Delhi Sultanate . The falling of Pandyan was a historical event that had a big impact for Sri Lanka. It leads to following events: Also, ancient Rajarata (before the 13th century) was divided into three parts: Eastern Province, Sri Lanka The Eastern Province ( Tamil : கிழக்கு மாகாணம் Kiḻakku Mākāṇam ; Sinhala : නැගෙනහිර පළාත Næ̆gĕnahira Paḷāta )

Mannar District - Misplaced Pages Continue

2058-569: Was demolished by Portuguese to construct the Catholic Church on the same location. Pesalai Catholic Church is one of the largest church in Sri Lanka, which was rebuilt after year-2000. Alleged recent human rights violations by Sri Lanka Army and the LTTE attacks have brought it to the media attention internationally. (see 2006 Mannar massacres ) Vidathaltheevu St James Church also one of the big church in Mannar Diocese . It has

2107-510: Was equal amount of Muslim population and a few Sinhalase before 1990. Portuguese rule introduced Christianity and Hindu temples were simply changed into Catholic Churches and Forts. The whole of southern coastal India and western coast of Sri Lanka is a Catholic stronghold from the time of Portuguese colonisation. Now, Sri Lanka's western coast is predominantly Buddhist while most coastal regions of India practise Hinduism except Goa. Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam may be present in small patches. Mannar

2156-485: Was first found from Sri Lanka in Mannar region. This was the first time that the spider was recorded from outside of India The Vankalai Sanctuary for birds, internationally recognised as an important area for wetland birds under the Ramsar Convention , is on the mainland just to the south of Mannar Island. Mannar District is divided into 5 Divisional Secretary's Division (DS Divisions), each headed by

2205-502: Was formally de-merged into the Northern and Eastern provinces on 1 January 2007. Much of the Eastern Province was under the control of rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for many years during the civil war . The entire province was recaptured by the Sri Lankan military in 2007. Many community members blamed Pro-Government Tamil groups such as the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP). In 2008 due to

2254-635: Was moved to the countryside along the Malvathu Oya. The river was ideal for agriculture. The first three administrative centres Tambapanni, Upatissa Nuwara, and Anuradhapura, were situated close to the Malvathu Oya. King Pandukabhaya , once a prince descended from local Yaksha and Sinha tribes, formed a stable kingdom in Anuradhapura. He garnered support from tribes in different areas of the island. Administrative centres in Rajarata: Prince Vijaya and his clan settled in Tambapanni, near

2303-486: Was one of the three districts located in the Northern Province. Manthai East division was transferred to newly created Mullaitivu District in September 1978. Much of Mannar District was under the control of rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for many years during the civil war . The entire district was recaptured by the Sri Lankan military in 2008. Mannar District is located in the north west of Sri Lanka in

2352-411: Was part of the Tamil administration. In 1833, in accordance with the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission , the ethnic based administrative structures were unified into a single administration divided into five geographic provinces. Mannar District, together with Jaffna District and Vanni District, formed the new Northern Province . At the time that Ceylon gained independence , Mannar

2401-435: Was transferred to the newly created Uva Province in 1886. The Indo-Lanka Accord signed on 29 July 1987 required the Sri Lankan government to devolve powers to the provinces and, in the interim, to merge the Northern and Eastern provinces into one administrative unit . The accord required a referendum to be held by 31 December 1988 in the Eastern Province to decide whether the merger should be permanent. Crucially,

#815184