Charming of beauty of ‘Delft island’ as expressed by a local tourist
May you hear and see good things this year
The sun burns above the palm trees. Clouds in the sky. Drifting far away. A deep blue in the bare sky. The blue and white sea under that sky is like a carpet. The carpets are swaying in the salty wind coming from the Indian side. We are telling a story about Jaffna. But this story does not belong to Jaffna. This belongs to kilometers away from Jaffna. That means to Delft island.
We all know that Delft is being talked about because of several murders that happened there recently. But really, Delft is not a topic that should be forgotten or talked about only when there are a few murders. Because Delft belong with the history of Sri Lanka.
A trip to Delft involves boarding a bus root number 776 in Jaffna and travelling to Kurikadwan port. ‘Vadataraki,’ a familiar friend, is joining us on this journey. He is assigned to the Sri Lanka Navy. Others were present. But I can’t recall their names. On this tour, you will be able to walk under memorabilia from the Chola kings to the Portuguese, Dutch, and English eras in a very short period of time. It was a fantastic experience. Father Richkloof van Gons is the first person to greet everyone who arrives in Delft.
He was the one who gave Nainative the name Delft. Delft is said to have had other names before that. One of them is named after Lord Shiva. That name is Abhishegatheev. However, the people of Jaffna sometimes refer to this island as Nainathiv, but it is now known as the Delft of the world. Even now, Father Vangones is waiting for you at the Mavalithurai ferry.
I am going to write something interesting that you will never imagine. A former police officer in Delft once told me this story.
‘The most beautiful girls in Sri Lanka are in Delft…’
You may not believe it. Because I didn’t believe it until I set foot in Delft. But if you are a frequent visitor to Delft, you will have a small smile on your face while reading this section. Because you remember her.
‘Who exactly is she?’
She is the lovely Delphine girl you met at the temple door in the market, on the boat at the pier. You are unaware of a story in her life history. Many Delft residents claim that their ancestors are a mix of Dravidian and Dutch. As a result, they may be perceived as less attractive than a traditional Jaffna girl. You can’t be mad at me because people on both sides agreed. However, when looking into the transparent blue eyes of a young woman wearing a Pachchavadang sari and a string of flowers in her hair, it is impossible to forget the sound of footsteps disappearing into the distance and disappearing under palm trees. .
Delft is also well-known for being a hangout for some extremely wealthy individuals. There were houses with attached bathrooms with tiles in the 1940s, according to those who provided information. Even kollupityya, Colombo, did not have tiled bathroomed houses at the time. Delft has since become a wealthy village. These mansions are brimming with gold and valuables. There is also evidence that wealthy people lived in Delft. As a result, Delft is a fertile island.
Delft is most famous for its horses. Some call these horses ponies. And some others say that they are wild horses. I don’t know what is the most appropriate name to call them scientifically. Arabian horses that were originally brought from Arabia by the Portuguese in the 16th century have been bred in this way throughout the island. Breeding of these horses has been done as a project under Lieutenant Nolan in the early 19th century. It is said that many of these people still have owners even though they are walking free like this.
However, Jaffna is said to be a place that has been subjected to foreign invasions. In the middle of the 17th century, the Dutch and then the Portuguese captured Jaffna. With the capture of Jaffna, we feel that the country has been nourished in some way. Delft is generally known as a place with a few specific trees and a few specific locations. The well here is called Devil’s Well. The well that does not sit easily is a specialty of Delft. Also, there are two lakes in Delft called Vettupkulam and Periyakulam.
One side of Delft is a forest-like area covered with bushes. Delft’s trees are also particularly talked about. In Delft there is a tree called Jambulana. It is known as a tree that grows in the dry regions of India and Sri Lanka. The fruits of these Jambulana trees are very small, black fruits. Some call this blackberry. We don’t know why this is actually a blackberry or a misintroduction called something else.
We also talk about baobab trees on Delft Island. It is said that the height of the trunk of the baobab tree on Delft Island is about 12 meters. There are baobab trees on Delft Island with a girth of about fifteen meters. The people of Delft Island call these monkey bread trees. Some say elephant trees. They are actually called monkey trees because of their nutritious fruits. Baobab trees are native to Africa.
The LTTE, on the other hand, was unable to capture Delft. Even today, a different politics has been planted in Delft. So, if you have time, reach a stroll on Delft side. Make a sroll around the wonderful place called Hanumanta’s Footprint, which some call it as Siripada.
