Jaffna Public Library

The Jaffna Public Library was, before its destruction in 1981, one of the largest libraries in South Asia, housing nearly 100,000 volumes including ancient Tamil manuscripts and irreplaceable colonial records. The 1981 burning was an act of cultural destruction that remains one of the deepest wounds in Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict. The rebuilt library opened in 2003 and looks identical to the original — a white Indo-Saracenic building with a distinctive pointed roof and arched verandahs.

Inside, the library has been carefully restocked, with particular effort made to reacquire Tamil-language works. The building now also functions as a symbol: visiting it is, in a quiet way, a political act. It's open to the public for browsing, and the waterfront location — looking out over the lagoon — makes the surrounding area worth a slow walk.

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In June 1981, a mob associated with pro-government paramilitaries set the library ablaze, destroying around 97,000 books and manuscripts — including irreplaceable Tamil palm-leaf manuscripts and records of Hindu history. The act was widely seen as a deliberate cultural attack and remains one of the defining grievances of the Tamil community. The rebuilt library, completed in 2003, is identical in appearance to the original: a pointed white building in the Indo-Saracenic style, rising above Jaffna's seafront like a declaration of intent.