The predominant religion in Jaffna is Hinduism, but thanks to the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British, Christianity is also very prevalent. There are some Muslims in Jaffna, but most fled as a result of the war, and they are only now slowly returning to the North. There are some Buddhists, too, but most of the people who visit the main Buddhist temple in town are either Sinhalese Buddhist tourists or members of the Sri Lankan police and army who are stationed in Jaffna.
Large Hindu Kovils are everywhere. I didn’t make it into any of the kovils in the North, primarily because they were closed when I was going around town, but I hate to admit, that kovils have become like most churches in Europe for me–you’ve seen a few, you’ve seen them all. But they’re still fun to take pictures of because they are so different from what we experience in the United States.
New Section of the Nallur Kandaswamy Temple
Behind Nallur Temple
For a much better picture of this scene, take a look at the Al Jazeera photos from a few months ago.
At a Purity Ceremony
There are pretty churches all over Sri Lanka, but I think the ones in Jaffna stand out because there is often little development around these churches.
St. James
Inside of St. John the Baptist's
Adventures in Serendipity 
Leave a Reply