5/5 Thanendran Janon E. 2 years ago on Google • 164 reviews
This
is
the
history
of
jaffna
kingdom.
The
Sangiliyan
Thoppu
is
an
ancient
arch
which
was
once
part
of
the
outer
facade
of
the
Jaffna
Kingdom,
at
the
palace
gate.
What
was
once
part
of
the
king’s
palace,
the
arch,
with
what
closely
resembles
a
Dutch
colonial
era
aesthetic,
is
now
a
protected
archaeological
monument
(as
of
2007).
Located
barely
a
few
metres
away
from
the
Nallur
Kandaswamy
Kovil
in
the
Nallur
suburbs,
the
arch
isn’t
the
sole
reminder
of
the
ancient
kingdom
that
fell
hard
and
fast
under
Sri
Lanka’s
Portuguese
occupation.
Close
to
the
Sangiliyan
Thoppu
stands
a
monument
commemorating
Jaffna’s
last
king,
King
Cankili
II.
Back
while
the
Civil
War
was
taking
place,
the
original
Sangiliyan
Thoppu,
which
was
made
out
of
plaster,
was
destroyed
beyond
repair.
What
stands
in
its
place
now
is
a
gold-plated
statue,
installed
in
2009
after
the
war
came
to
an
end.
The
monument
serves
as
a
reminder
of
a
particularly
gory
part
of
Sri
Lanka’s
history.
Upon
the
death
of
Ethirimanna
Cinkam
in
1617,
multiple
people
laid
claim
to
the
throne,
of
which
Cankili
II—the
dead
king’s
nephew—was
one,
along
with
the
former
king’s
brother
and
an
influential
chieftain.
But
eventually,
the
king’s
son
was
named
regent
instead.
Cankili
II
then
had
all
claimants
as
well
as
all
the
princes
killed,
and
took
the
throne
for
himself,
proclaiming
himself
as
king
of
the
Jaffna
kingdom.
But
the
Portuguese
colonists
who
had
settled
in
Colombo
didn’t
recognise
his
reign,
and
barely
two
years
later,
he
was
executed
by
the
Portuguese.
And
so
came
the
abrupt
end
to
a
long
line
of
Aryacakravarti
kings
who
had
ruled
over
Jaffna
for
over
three
centuries.
Following
his
execution,
the
palace
was
destroyed,
leaving
nothing
but
the
tell-tale
foundations.
The
Sangiliyan
Thoppu,
being
all
that
remains,
is
a
silent
monument
to
the
once-great
kingdom
of
Jaffna.
For
those
who
are
intrigued
by
its
fascinating
history,
a
tour
of
the
palace
ruins
the
Sangiliyan
Thoppu
is
sure
to
be
a
thriller!
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