A gleaming white colonial-style library, one of Jaffna's proudest landmarks and a powerful symbol of Tamil cultural resilience.

Overview

The Jaffna Public Library is an elegant white building with Mughal-influenced domes and arches set in landscaped gardens, and among the most beloved landmarks in the city. Once one of the largest libraries in Asia, it holds a rich collection of Tamil literature and manuscripts. Its destruction and painstaking rebuilding have made it an enduring emblem of the city's endurance, and its grounds and reading rooms are a peaceful stop in the centre of town.

History

First opened in 1933, the library grew to hold nearly 100,000 books and rare palm-leaf manuscripts, making it one of the greatest repositories of Tamil learning in the world. In 1981 it was burned down in an act of ethnic violence that destroyed its priceless collection, a defining trauma of the conflict. It was rebuilt and formally reopened in 2001-2003 and stands today as a restored symbol of cultural revival.