Chavakachcheri ( ta, சாவகச்சேரி Cāvakaccēri, si, ජාවකච්චේරි Jāvakachchēri) is a large town in the
Jaffna peninsula of
Jaffna District,
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province ( ta, வட மாகாணம் ''Vaṭa Mākāṇam''; si, උතුරු පළාත ''Uturu Paḷāta'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The province ...
. It may have
Javanese origins, as the name "Chaavaka+cheari" literally means Javanese settlement (there are also some references to a Javanese fort in northern Sri Lanka). The town may date back to the
Southeast Asian occupation of Yalpanam, where certain settlements and forts were established by
Chandrabhanu
Chandrabhanu (died 1262) or Chandrabhanu Sridhamaraja was the King of Tambralinga Kingdom in present-day Thailand, Malaysia and Sumatra and the Jaffna Kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. A Javaka, he was known to have ruled from during the period of 1 ...
to maintain hegemony over the overseas colony. The town is governed by an
Urban Council
The Urban Council (UrbCo) was a municipal council in Hong Kong responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon (including New Kowloon). These services were provided by the council's executive arm, the Urban Services ...
. Chavakachcheri was badly devastated in the
Sri Lankan Civil War. Today, the government and the people of Chavakachcheri have rebuilt the town, but the population remains drastically lower than the pre-war years.
The 111-year-old Chavakachcheri Hindu College, a high school, is a leading centre of education in the town.
[http://www.educationtimes.lk/et-schools/3380-chavakachcheri-hindu-has-taken-a-solemn-promise-to-produce-superior-citizens]
References
External links
Javanese History, Spread of Javanese Rule from Madagascar to South Pacific
Chavakachcheri,
Towns in Jaffna District
Thenmarachchi DS Division
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