Nilavarai Bottomless Well

Nilavarai Bottomless Well Nilavarai Bottomless Well Nilavarai Bottomless Well

The Nilavarai Well is popular attraction in Jaffna lying in Puttur in the Navakkiri GS area of Valikaamam East division. Some times referred to as a bottomless well or Deep Well, this well is caused by collapse of the top layer, exposing a limestone cavern connected to a underground water source. It is said that this well never dries up even during severe drought and the water is used by the farmers in the surrounding area. The dimensions of the well is 25 feet in length and 40 feet in width. As in many large public wells in the area, a flight of steps lead to the water level which is 14 feet below the surface level.

It is said that the 1st 40 feet of water in the well is fresh and turns saline further down. It is believed that this water source is connected to the Keeramali Freshwater Pool and said that a lime fruit thrown to to the well will appear in the Keeramali sea which lies 10km way from this well.

It is also said that the water level of the well falls and rises in synchronization with the low and high tide of the sea. Unfortunately no study of this well has been carried out partly due the 30 year bloody war with with Tamil Tiger Terrorists in this part of the country which ended in 2009. Fortunately a study of this curious well has been done in mind 1800’s and was published in the 1865-66 edition of the Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland.

To ascertain at which depth the fresh water turns in to salt water, samples of water was taken at the depths of 45 feet, 95 feet and 145 feet using a special instrument with a valve and sealed in sealed. These bottles were sent to England for chemical analysis of the content. During the test it was found that the well was definitely not bottomless but reached the bottom at a death of 145-150 feet. It was observed that the samples of water brought from the bottom smelt of strongly of sulphureted hydrogen. It was also observed that the brackishness started between 40-50 feet in depth thus it was certain that the salt water enters the well at this height.

In the next experiment three researchers measured the water levels of the Jaffna Lagoon, Valvettithurai seas and the Nilavarai well every half an hour from 6 am to 6 pm. These measurements indicated that Valvettithurai and Nilavarai sea levels started to fall at 6.30 am and started to rise around 2-2.30 pm. But the water levels at the Nilavarai well fell in parallel with the seas at 6.30 but started to rise at 9.30 am and again fell after 2 pm. This meant that water levels in the well alternated 3 times a day while the tides alternated twice a day. Therefore the connection of the change of the water level in the well to the tides in the sea was disproved left the reason for the thrice daily water level changes in the well unanswered.

Recently (150 years later) an automated diving robot with divers of the Sri Lankan Navy conducted an expedition to the bottom of the well. They discovered that the bottom of the well lies 52.5 meters (172 feet). It was also discovered that fresh water existed in the first 18.3 meters (60 feet) and turned in to salty as it goes down. They also disc

À propos du district de Jaffna

Jaffna est la capitale de la province du Nord, au Sri Lanka. 85 % de la population des districts de Jaffna et de Kilinochchi est hindoue et suit la tradition shivaïte. Le reste de la population est majoritairement catholique ou protestant, dont certains sont des descendants de colons, appelés Burghers. Les Tamouls sont organisés en castes, les Vellalar, caste d'agriculteurs, étant majoritaires. Les produits de la mer, les oignons rouges et le tabac constituent les principales productions à Jaffna.

Jaffna abrite de magnifiques temples hindous. Un ancien fort hollandais, remarquablement bien conservé, abrite une vieille église. La Maison du Roi est un autre exemple d'architecture hollandaise. Une visite à Jaffna ne saurait être complète sans avoir goûté à l'exquise mangue de Jaffna, réputée pour sa douceur. À environ 3 km se dresse le majestueux temple de Nallur Kandaswamy, où se déroule le plus grand festival religieux de Jaffna. Le port de Kayts est un ancien site d'amarrage de navires dans la région de Jaffna.

À propos de la province du Nord

La province du Nord est l'une des neuf provinces du Sri Lanka. Bien que les provinces existent depuis le XIXe siècle, elles n'ont acquis de statut juridique qu'en 1987, lorsque le 13e amendement à la Constitution de 1978 a institué les conseils provinciaux. Entre 1988 et 2006, la province a été temporairement fusionnée avec la province de l'Est pour former la province du Nord-Est. Sa capitale est Jaffna.

La province du Nord est située au nord du Sri Lanka, à seulement 35 km de l'Inde. Elle est bordée par le golfe de Mannar et la baie de Palk à l'ouest, le détroit de Palk au nord, le golfe du Bengale à l'est et les provinces de l'Est, du Centre-Nord et du Nord-Ouest au sud. La province compte de nombreuses lagunes, dont les plus importantes sont les lagunes de Jaffna, Nanthi Kadal, Chundikkulam, Vadamarachchi, Uppu Aru, Kokkilai, Nai Aru et Chalai. La plupart des îles qui entourent le Sri Lanka se trouvent à l'ouest de la province du Nord. Les plus grandes sont Kayts, Neduntivu, Karaitivu, Pungudutivu et Mandativu.

La population de la province du Nord s'élevait à 1 311 776 habitants en 2007. Elle est majoritairement composée de Tamouls sri-lankais, avec une minorité de Maures sri-lankais et de Cinghalais. Le tamoul sri-lankais est la langue principale parlée par la grande majorité de la population. Le cinghalais est parlé par 1 % de la population. L'anglais est largement parlé et compris dans les villes.

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