Point Pedro
Encyclopedia
Point Pedro is the northernmost town
of the island of Sri Lanka
. The agriculturally active area around Point Pedro with fertile calcic red latosols is known for its cotton production. The eastern coast of Point Pedro is a 3-mile-broad beach with huge sand dunes (regosols) up to 100 feet height, extending up to Thalayady for a length of 20 miles. The porous regosols region with a deep ground water table has a billion litres of fresh water supply which can supply the part of Jaffna. The Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004
has raised the salt content of the ground water. The sea wiped parts of the town and sea water stayed there for up to 4 feet height.
The town came briefly under the control of the LTTE during the early 1990's and has been back under government control since 1995 after the Sri Lankan Army
recaptured it from the LTTE.
The Western name, Point Pedro, was given by Dutch during the colonial era. A Dutch sailor, Pedro, when travelling along the coast of the country found this city to be the Northern-most point and this gave rise to the name, Point Pedro.
(Sandy City) Temple was a complex of Hindu-Buddhist temples on 'Angkor Wat
' model and was a visiting place for Chinese and Indonesian vessels. See Vallipuram
for further information.
During pre-colonial and even in colonial times, Point Pedro was a bustling hub of export/import activities. The people, whose descendants involved in the import/export business, continue to form the majority of the population of Point Pedro.
. Sacred Heart College is a major Catholic high school situated in Nelliady. The name Pedro
came from Portuguese.
. His records and his book on Jaffna were published in Netherlands in Dutch and later in Germany in German. There is a stone inscription written about the Baldeus and his Bible teaching under the Tamarind tree (which was uprooted by the 1962 cyclone in the Point Pedro Market).
and Methodist Girls High School by the Wesleyan Missionaries.
There are several American Mission schools at Uduppiddy and Thunnalai
.
will increase the productivity of the Point Pedro Harbour positively. Enlargement of the harbour will bring benefits to Sri Lanka. The strategic advantages derive from obtaining a navigable sea route close to the coast, with a reduction in travel distance of more than 650 km (351 nmi), for larger ships. The project is expected to provide a boost to the economic and industrial development of coastal Tamil Nadu. The project will be of particular significance to Jaffna, Kankesanthurai, Mannar, Point Pedro and Tuticorin harbour. Tuticurin has the potential to transform itself into a nodal port. The Tamil Nadu Government has announced its proposal to develop 13 minor ports, including Ennore, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thondi, Valinokam, Kolachel and Kanyakumari.
(boys), Velautham Maha Vidyalayam (boys), Vadamaradchy Hindu Girls College and Methodist Girls High School. The school was started by Wesleyan missionaries over 170 years ago, and has survived several cyclones and arson by anti-social elements and the military. The school has financial backing from overseas and several of its past students are now professors, doctors, engineers and scientists all over the world. In recent years both of the schools have been under restrictions placed by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA). Regular clashes occur between Sri Lankan armed forces and college
protestors, mainly over the high security zone.
Extreme points of Sri Lanka
This is a list of the extreme points of Sri Lanka.-Heading:-Altitude:* Highest point: Pidurutalagala , -See also:*Extreme points of Earth*Geography of Sri Lanka...
of the island of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. The agriculturally active area around Point Pedro with fertile calcic red latosols is known for its cotton production. The eastern coast of Point Pedro is a 3-mile-broad beach with huge sand dunes (regosols) up to 100 feet height, extending up to Thalayady for a length of 20 miles. The porous regosols region with a deep ground water table has a billion litres of fresh water supply which can supply the part of Jaffna. The Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
has raised the salt content of the ground water. The sea wiped parts of the town and sea water stayed there for up to 4 feet height.
The town came briefly under the control of the LTTE during the early 1990's and has been back under government control since 1995 after the Sri Lankan Army
Sri Lankan Army
The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is responsible for land-based military and humanitarian operations. Established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, it was renamed when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972...
recaptured it from the LTTE.
Etymology
The name of the town in Tamil is 'Paruthithurai', and has been in use from time immemorial. This translates to 'Cotton Harbour'. The origins of this name can be found in the ancient practice of exporting especially cotton to various South Indian cities.The Western name, Point Pedro, was given by Dutch during the colonial era. A Dutch sailor, Pedro, when travelling along the coast of the country found this city to be the Northern-most point and this gave rise to the name, Point Pedro.
Ancient history
The nearby VallipuramVallipuram
Vallipuram was an ancient capital of Northern Kingdoms of Sri Lanka. Point Pedro is the nearest town. Vallipuram is a part of Thunnalai.This place is settled by migrants from a town called Vallipuram near Namakkal which is near Coimbatore. Naga names are found in India. Nagpur, Nagar Kovil,...
(Sandy City) Temple was a complex of Hindu-Buddhist temples on 'Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu,...
' model and was a visiting place for Chinese and Indonesian vessels. See Vallipuram
Vallipuram
Vallipuram was an ancient capital of Northern Kingdoms of Sri Lanka. Point Pedro is the nearest town. Vallipuram is a part of Thunnalai.This place is settled by migrants from a town called Vallipuram near Namakkal which is near Coimbatore. Naga names are found in India. Nagpur, Nagar Kovil,...
for further information.
During pre-colonial and even in colonial times, Point Pedro was a bustling hub of export/import activities. The people, whose descendants involved in the import/export business, continue to form the majority of the population of Point Pedro.
Portuguese history
There are several Catholic churches built around Point Pedro along the coasts and in NelliadyNelliady
Nelliady is the largest city in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.After the 2004 Tsunami and the on-going Civil War people started moving towards places of safety from the sea coasts. Nelliady became a ready made town for all the affected refugees...
. Sacred Heart College is a major Catholic high school situated in Nelliady. The name Pedro
Pedro
Pedro or the archaic Pêro is a masculine given name. It is a Portuguese, Galician and Spanish form of the name Peter, which is derived, via Latin "petra", from the Greek word "η πετρα" meaning "stone, rock"...
came from Portuguese.
Dutch history
Major Dutch developments came with Father Phillipus BaldeusBaldeus
Father Philippus Baldaeus, Baelde or Philip Balde was a Dutch minister. He went to Jaffna, Ceylon with an invading Dutch force during 17th Century. As the first European he documented the life, language and culture of Tamil people, living in the north of the island...
. His records and his book on Jaffna were published in Netherlands in Dutch and later in Germany in German. There is a stone inscription written about the Baldeus and his Bible teaching under the Tamarind tree (which was uprooted by the 1962 cyclone in the Point Pedro Market).
British history
Major English developments came here with establishing missionary schools like Hartley CollegeHartley College
Hartley College is a boys private school in Point Pedro, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1838 by British Methodist missionaries. The school is named after Wesleyan priest and missionary Rev. Hartley.-History:...
and Methodist Girls High School by the Wesleyan Missionaries.
There are several American Mission schools at Uduppiddy and Thunnalai
Thunnalai
The village of Thunnalai is near the lagoon called Thondaman Aru. It is also in close proximity to This place is settled by migrants from a town called Vallipuram near Namakkal which is near Coimbatore. Naga names are found in India. Nagpur, Nagar Kovil, Nagapatnam and Nagaland are examples....
.
Harbour
It has a small harbor which is currently controlled by the Sri Lankan army so that the public is allowed with several regulations to do their day-to-day activities there. Sethusamudram Shipping Canal ProjectSethusamudram Shipping Canal Project
Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project proposes linking the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by creating a shipping channel through the shallow sea sometimes called Setu Samudram, and through the chain of islands variously known as Ramar Palam , ram sethu and Adam's Bridge...
will increase the productivity of the Point Pedro Harbour positively. Enlargement of the harbour will bring benefits to Sri Lanka. The strategic advantages derive from obtaining a navigable sea route close to the coast, with a reduction in travel distance of more than 650 km (351 nmi), for larger ships. The project is expected to provide a boost to the economic and industrial development of coastal Tamil Nadu. The project will be of particular significance to Jaffna, Kankesanthurai, Mannar, Point Pedro and Tuticorin harbour. Tuticurin has the potential to transform itself into a nodal port. The Tamil Nadu Government has announced its proposal to develop 13 minor ports, including Ennore, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thondi, Valinokam, Kolachel and Kanyakumari.
Education
The town is famous for Hartley CollegeHartley College
Hartley College is a boys private school in Point Pedro, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1838 by British Methodist missionaries. The school is named after Wesleyan priest and missionary Rev. Hartley.-History:...
(boys), Velautham Maha Vidyalayam (boys), Vadamaradchy Hindu Girls College and Methodist Girls High School. The school was started by Wesleyan missionaries over 170 years ago, and has survived several cyclones and arson by anti-social elements and the military. The school has financial backing from overseas and several of its past students are now professors, doctors, engineers and scientists all over the world. In recent years both of the schools have been under restrictions placed by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA). Regular clashes occur between Sri Lankan armed forces and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
protestors, mainly over the high security zone.
External links
- Phillipus Baldeus - A Dutch Missionary and Author
- Hartley College Website
- Point Pedro Institute of Development
- The Civil Wars of Sri Lanka during 13th to 15th Century
- Wars waged for the Possession of the Tooth Relic
- A Brief History of Jaffna Kingdom
- The Vallipuram Buddha Image
- Puttalai Maha Vidyalayam Old Students' Association (UK)