Vavuniya, Northern Province, Sri Lanka

🇱🇰 Vavuniya is a city in the Northern Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. It is also the main settlement in the Vavuniya District. The town has been known since ancient times, but being a heavily forested area, less than 10,000 people lived in the entire district before the Sri Lankan Civil War. The city is situated as a border town that divides the Tamil and Sinhalese population. To the south of the city are the Sinhala cities and to the north are the Tamil cities. The city has a large population of Tamils, Muslims and a significant number of Sinhalese. In the early days, Vavuniya was known as Vanni due to the abundance of Vanni Trees. The Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni is located in Vavuniya.

History This city was under the rule of the Nagas during the period of the Yaka and Nagas in ancient Sri Lanka. Many Tanks were constructed by them in this area and Naga Sacred Guard Stones were placed near them and inscriptions were engraved.

Later, following the arrival of the Sinhalese to Sri Lanka, the region came under the Rajarata kingdom. Later, after the Chola invasion, Saivism and Tamil revived in the city. After the Cholas were defeated by the Pandyas in Tamil Nadu, Vavuniya was taken over by the Pandyas during their invasion of Sri Lanka. As the Pandyas were dispersed in the Delhi invasion and their strength diminished in Sri Lanka, the Vanni who arrived with the Cholas broke free from the Pandyas in Sri Lanka and formed the submissive Vanni nation. The Vanni Rasadani, which had remained unyielding during the Portuguese period, came under the control of the Dutch in the maneuver of the hero Pandaravannian in the Dutch invasion. Then the Dutch handed Sri Lanka over to the British and it came under British rule.

After the British granted independence to Sri Lanka, many people migrated abroad and to Vavuniya as the war caused by the Sinhalese oppression forced the affluent population to migrate.Vavuniya is a city that has recovered from the war even though it was heavily affected by the war. Now here Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese are united without distinction.Recently the district got its own university. Discussions are going on to make this Urban Council a Municipal Council now. And there are discussions to convert the district airport into an international airport.

Transport Vavuniya railway station, which is located on the Northern Line connects Kankesanthurai (the northern terminus of the line) through to Colombo. During the civil war Vavuniya was the terminus of the Northern Line.Vavuniya airport, which is an air force base and a domestic airport is also located here.Vavuniya is situated in the middle of the Vanni region and is the gate to northern province where people can access all the northern cities quickly.