Point Pedro

Point Pedro (Tamil: பருத்தித்துறை; Sinhala: පේදුරුතුඩුව ) is the northernmost town of the island of Sri Lanka. As the name suggest that this agriculturally active area with fertile calcic red latosols were exporting cotton to other countries. The eastern coast of Point Pedro is a stunning 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. Recent 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 has been back under government control since 1995 after the Sri Lankan Army recaptured from the LTTE.

Point Pedro 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 Project 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 350 nautical miles (650 km) (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.

Point Pedro habour is located at 9.83289,80.212555

High Schools

The town is famous for Hartley College (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. Regular clashes occur between Sri Lankan armed forces and college protestors, mainly over the high security zone.

Ancient History

The nearby Vallipuram ( 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.

Portuguese History

There are several Catholic churches built around Point Pedro along the coasts and in Nelliady. Sacred Heart College is a major Catholic high school situated in Nelliady. The name Pedro came from Portuguese.

Dutch History

Major Dutch developments came with Phillipus Baldeus. 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 College and Methodist Girls High School by the Wesleyan Missionaries.

There are several American Mission schools at Uduppiddy and Thunnalai.

See also

*Battle of Point Pedro

External links

* [http://www.holytrinitynewrochelle.org/yourti89645.html Phillipus Baldeus - A Dutch Missionary and Author]
* [http://www.hartleycollege.com/ Hartley College Website]
* [http://pointpedro.org/ Point Pedro Institute of Development]
* [http://lakdiva.org/codrington/chap05.html The Civil Wars of Sri Lanka during 13th to 15th Century]
* [http://encyclopedie-en.snyke.com/articles/sri_dalada_maligawa.html Wars waged for the Possession of the Tooth Relic]
* [http://www.sangam.org/ANALYSIS/ChKumar12_00.htm A Brief History of Jaffna Kingdom]
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~lkawgw/vallipuram.html The Vallipuram Buddha Image]