Thunnalai
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The village of Thunnalai (Tamil: துன்னாலை) is near the lagoon called Thondaman Aru. It is also in close proximity to Point Pedro and Vallipuram. The mouth of the lagoon has the famous Skanda temple, Selva Sannithy, which has a spiritual connection with Kataragama Temple in Sri Lanka. The lagoon is deep enough for small boats to travel up to Thunnalai (thun = fresh water; alai = banyon tree). The makeup of the lagoon is rectangular in shape, and the lagoon has a fresh water supply. Ancient ships could sail in without difficulty and anchor to procure food and water on their routes to various countries.
Part of Thunnalai was under the sea for a longtime and sea-shell deposits can be seen in the rice fields as the evidence of such occurrences. Some of the Ganesh Temple walls are built from these sea-shells. The soil in these areas are bleached of mineral colour due to inundation with sea water. The northern part of Thunnalai has calcic red latosols used for making pottery which was a cottage industry during 20th Century.
Hartley College was first located in Thunnalai. After an arson attack on the school, it was moved to Point Pedro.
Kaddaiveli Church and Kaddaiveli Parish are the remnants of the colonial rule. An ancient Sivan temple was demoilished before the church was erected.
Thunnalai a very small village in Jaffna district, is the birth place of many well known people - Professors, Politicians, Actors, Singers, Poets, Directors, Writers....Vallipuram temple
V.K.Sittampalam (First SriLankan Postmaster General)
Professor Karthigesu Sivathamby
Chrithiran Sivagnanasundaram
Pon.Kandiah (First Tamil Communist M.P)
M.Sivasithamparam (Former M.P and Deputy Speaker of Parliment)
K.C.Nadarajah Q.C
Anton Balasingam LTTE VIP
Sitta.Sittampalam ( President, T.E.S., Canada)
K.Markandan (Popular Radio Actor)
M.V.Krishnalvar ( "Koothu" actor )
K.S.Balachandran
Karavai Ponnian
Yoga Balachandran (writer and Media Personality)
Ranjakumar (Short story writer)
Pandit. K.Veerakathy (KAVEE)
Poet. "Mannavan" Kanthappu
Prof.Murugesu Sivapalan ( University of W.Australia)
Do you know..?
Tamil Portions of the Sinhala film "Sarungalaya" (The Kite)Of Gamini Fonseka were shot in Karaveddi.
Mrs.Yoga Balachandran wrote the Tamil dialogues and she is from Karaveddi.
I was offered a character as Brother in law of Gamini Fonseka in this film, but because of my shooting engagement in Pesalai for "Vaadai Katru" I missed this offer.
Chrithiran Sivagnanasundaram
First SriLankan Postmaster General of Ceylon,Mr. V.K.Sittampalam sent his son to study Architecture in India, but he spent his time in learning about Cartoon sketching and returned as a Cartoonist to the dismay of his father.
Sivagnanasundaram also known as Sunder, Sivaji etc. made readers to look forward to every issue of Thinakaran where his creation "Savari Thambar" appeared. He started "Sirithiran" a novel magazine to make the people laugh and think.
Most of the characters in his cartoons were actual persons known to him in Karaveddi, his village.
Savarithambar, Sinnakuddi, Vicki etc.
Selva Sannithi Murugan is our salvation. Karaveddi and its surrounding villages celebrate Sannithi Murugan Thiruvila with great enthusiasm.
Sannithi Murugan is called as Annathana Kanthan.
Thunnalai a small village..? Sub Categories for Karaveddy (Vadamaradchi South West) - G.S.Divisions Thunnalai Thunnalai Centre Thunnalai East Thunnalai South Thunnalai West
The Operation Liberation or Vadamarachchi (Thunnalai ) Operation, the military offensive carried out by the Sri Lankan military during May to June 1987, to re-gain the territory of Vadamarachchi inside Thunnalai in Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE control. This military offensive marked in Sri Lankan military history as first ever engaged in conventional warfare in Sri Lankan soil after the British colonial rule. Brigadier Denzil Kobbekaduwa and Colonel Vijaya Wimalaratne are the two key military personnel who committed themselves to gain the victory for the government troops. Former Sri Lankan President Junius Richard Jayewardene and minister of National Security Lalith Athulathmudali given the political leadership for the operation until the government of India violated the Sri Lankan air space using air force to drop food over Jaffna (Operation Poomalai) on June 04, 1987 which forced to accept Indo-Sri Lankan Accord. The offensive started on May 26, 1987 in Thunnalai under the leadership of the two commanders with 8,000 troops from several battalions from Gemunu Watch (Under the Command of Lt. Colonel Vipul Botheju and Lt. Colonel Wasantha Perera), Gajaba Regiment (under the Command of Lt. Colonel Sathis Jayasundara and Major Gotabaya Rajapakse) and Sri Lanka Light Infantry (Under Lt. Colonel Naradha Wickramarathne), supported by the Sri Lanka Air Force. The difficulty for the troops to out from Thondamanaru area because LTTE exploded the Thondamanaru bridge to delay the troops reaching Valvettithurai, the native place of LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran. Eastern side of Thondamanaru was heavliy mined by the LTTE and clearing of the mines and booby traps were left to a field engineer Squadron of the Sri Lanka Engineers commanded by Major Lucky Rajasinghe. First day of the battle belong to the heroics of field engineer squadron which suffered 42 deaths in a span of 4 hours, yet broke through the mine field under the intensive fire from the LTTE bunkers, with the support of the troops from the 1 Gajaba Regiment Commanded by Major Gotabaya Rajapakse. On May 28 troops managed to capture Udupiddy and Valvettithurai and also another military column (Commandos, under the command of Major Sarath Handapangoda) From Thunnalai captured Nelliady and advanced towards Point Pedro without giving any possibility to re-grouping of the LTTE units. On first week of June troops managed gain control over entire zone and captured large amount of arms left by LTTE. The military intelligence disclosed the LTTE leader Prabakaran along with Sea Tiger leader Colonel Soosai narrowly escaped from advancing troops. Though the second stage of this operation was launched on June 3, 1987, to capture the city of Jaffna, the military was forced to abandon it, when Indian Aircraft escorted by fighter aircraft infiltrated Sri Lankan air space and dropped supplies for the LTTE in the Jaffna area on June 4. Subsequently Indian Forces landed in Sri Lanka on the 26th of June with the signing of Indo-Lanka Accord.
