Velanai Island
Velanai Island (Tamil: வேலணை), 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 Karampon.
Velanai Island
வேலணைத் தீவு | |
|---|---|
Aerial view of the Velanai Island. | |
Velanai Island Velanai Island | |
| Coordinates: 9°40′0″N 79°52′0″E | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Northern |
| District | Jaffna |
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.