Nainativu (Tamil) or Nagadeepa Island is a tiny island which is situated off Kayts in the North East of Jaffna. The island is quite close to India and is believed to have been inhabited by the Naga tribal people in the past. Two important temples are located on this island, the Hindu shrine of Nagapooshani Amman Temple and the Buddhist shrine of Nagadeepa Viharaya. For us it wasn't that much about the temples, but much more the way you get there! What a little adventure!
First part is to travel towards Kurikadduwan Harbor trough the different Kayts Islands over bridges and across tiny fishing villages. The second part is taking a passenger ferry from the Kurikadduwan Jetty (9.600581, 79.789988), which brings you in a 30 minutes trip to the Nagadeepa Island. The water around you is turkeys and crystal clear and just jaw dropping beautiful. A different world! We simply loved it!
The day we went, we were to only tourist on board and had to place the motorbike and ourselves on the roof of the ferry, in between groceries from the islanders. It was another little adventure to get the bike on and off the ferry. But for the guys working there, it's everyday business.
Since the island is bearly 5km longs, you can easy get around by foot. But it was fun to take the bike with us anyway.
Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by the Nagapooshani Amman Kovil, a Hindu temple with an impressive elephant statue at its entrance. The temple’s present structure dates back to 1720–1790, rebuilt after the Portuguese destroyed the original in 1620. Today there are around 15 priest in the temple who preform poojas (rituals) for the pilgrims and you may be lucky do witness a ceremony while visiting.
From here, a 10-minute walk down the main road leads to the Nagadeepa Purana Vihara, one of Sri Lanka’s sixteen holiest Buddhist shrines. According to legend, Gautama Buddha visited this site five years after attaining Enlightenment to mediate a dispute between two warring Naga kings.
To this day, the people living on the island are descendants of the Naga people, who over time assimilated into Tamil culture. Originally from South India, they are not related to the Nagas of Nagaland in northern India.
In modern history, the temple was affected by ethnic strife and the civil war, becoming a target multiple times. During the 1958 riots, Tamil mobs arriving by boat destroyed parts of the temple, including a gold-plated Buddha statue gifted by Burma, which was beheaded, its arms removed and thrown into the sea. The temple’s stupa was also blown up with dynamite. Fearing that news of the attack would incite further violence, Governor-General Sir Oliver Goonetilleke ordered the government to censor the incident. The temple was secretly restored, and the head priest at the time cooperated, considering it an "exercise of deception" in the interest of humanity.
If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-path adventure, Nainativu offers a glimpse into a slower, simpler way of life, surrounded by stunning natural beauty. Along the main road, you’ll find a few small shops and a well-maintained public toilet.
BEST TIME TO GO is not on a religious holiday, since you may encounter too many pilgrims to have an enjoyable trip.
DO make sure to ask the ferry men, when the last ferry is going back to the mainland and also from which jetty it is leaving (there is one for each temple). As far as we know there are no guest houses on the island.
DON'T expect of find lots of restaurants or something else than just the normal, quiet island life. There are smalls shops where the locals buy their food and that's about it. In case you stay all day, bring your own food. Or even better: Have a nice meal in the restaurant at the jetty in Kurikadduwan. We enjoyed fresh seafood at the Islands View Restaurant.
