Jaffna – DELFT Island , North Sri Lanka

 

Jaffna – DELFT Island

Sri Lanka is a country that inherits a very old history. This time we bring you information about Delft Island, an island belonging to the Jaffna District of Sri Lanka.

This island is located about 30 kilometers away from the west coast of the Jaffna Peninsula. This island has a long history of about a thousand years and is an isolated island. In the 17th century, Delft Island was conquered by the Chola kings and then invaded by the Portuguese and the Dutch. Finally. It was occupied by the British. It is 8 km long and 6 km wide.

Delft Island can be reached by boat service operated by the Navy from Kurukkaduvan Jetty.

Baobab tree

There is a baobab tree on this island, which is believed to be native to tropical Africa. It is said to have been planted by Arab traders in the 16th century.

To withstand severe drought, this tree stores water in the trunk of the tree. Leaves fall during dry season. The fruit of this tree, which produces a flower about 7 inches long, is considered to be one of the most nutritious foods in the world.

pigeons nest.

And there is a special interesting story about that island today that is the pigeons nest. It is said that pigeons were used to exchange messages in the distant history. Accordingly, the message was recorded on a piece of paper and tied to the pigeon's leg and the pigeon was released. According to historical sources, communication between Delft Island and the surrounding islands began. It is said that pigeons did it. So the pigeons that carry messages stay in this cage until they carry messages again. For that they have built this pigeon nest. It is made of limestone

In relation to that, the ruins of the buildings built for the needs of the Dutch on Delft Island can still be seen today.