Scenes at Nagadeepa Vihara, Sri Lanka.

Two representations of the legendary gem-studded thrones in the Vihare premises.

Nagadeepa - Nainatheevu is venerated by the Buddhists as the site of the visit of Lord Buddha during His existence as 'Sakya Muni'. On seeing by His paranormal powers that there was going to be a massacre of human lives over a fight for possession of a gem-set throne by two clans of Nagas, he appeared at the site and took possession of the throne. He then preached his Dhamma to the Nagas and brought peace and amity among them. This incident is related in the Tamil Buddhist kavya 'Manimekhalai' (estimated to have been composed in the time period second century to the eighth century of the present Era) and in the Mahawansa written in Pali in the fifth Century of the present Era.

At Nagadeepa - Nainatheevu, Sri Lanka.

At the jetty near the Nagapooshani Amman temple.

At the Nagadeepa Vihara.

Embarkation at Kurikkadduvaan, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Jetty at Nagadeepa Vihara.

Jetty at Nagapooshani Amman Temple.

Preparing to take passengers on board.

A ferry boat.

Click on web-link below to see a video:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic0iI-NFXTA&list=UU1dqepitfAJwrQWLD-gZ3NA&index=1

Kurikkadduvan, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Village scene.

On the jetty to board a ferry to Nagadeepa - Nainatheevu.

Fishermen on a boat.

A passenger ferry.

On the road to Pungudutheevu, Sri Lanka.

Long stretches of roadway through the waters.

A fisherman in his wooden boat.

Cormorants resting on sticks used to anchor fishing nets.

An abandoned house.

Scenes on the road to Nainatheevu - Nagadeepa, Sri Lanka.

Old type of fencing using palmyra leaves.

A village scene.

Market town.

Roadway through a village.

The old style Jaffna is still very much in evidence in these Islands. The Islanders were famous for tasty cooking and involvement in trade throughout Sri Lanka. In the 1950s almost every town in Ceylon had a 'Suruttu-kadai' (cigar-shop), and plantain fruit shop owned and managed by an Islander. They did wholesale and retail trade in grains. The repeated racial riots put an end to these shops. They are now a distant memory of the older folk in the Island. A genetic study of the old Islanders might give a clue as to the DNA peculiarities of the original Naga inhabitants of these Islands going back 2500 years.

Scenes on the road to Velanai, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

The numerous causeways on  the road to Nagadeepa passing the rural villages is a sight not to be missed. The bird life was fabulous.