Jaffna Public Library
A white Indo-Saracenic building opened in 1959, burned on the night of 31 May–1 June 1981 and rebuilt, now a working library and a quiet landmark of the city.
What Jaffna Public Library actually is
The library began in 1933 as the private collection of K. M. Chellappah and grew into one of the best-known libraries in Asia. Its main building opened in 1959, in an Indo-Saracenic design by S. Narasimhan of Madras, with advice from the Indian librarian S. R. Ranganathan.
On the night of 31 May–1 June 1981 it was set alight during several days of violence against Tamils in Jaffna. Wikipedia attributes the arson to police and government-sponsored mobs; some accounts say two cabinet ministers were in the city. The commonly cited loss is more than 97,000 books and manuscripts, including irreplaceable Tamil palm-leaf material. Many Tamils see it as a turning point on the road to the civil war.
Rebuilding began in 1998 and the new building was finished by about 2001; reopening was delayed until 2003 amid political dispute. Today it is a working public library with a reading room, and visitors have described a calm interior full of local readers. Treat it as a memorial and as a working building: look at the exterior, step in if it is open, keep quiet.
Worth your attention
The white facade
The library is a white building in classical-style lines with landscaped gardens. Its design is the reason it became a city landmark.
The reading room
Local readers use the daily newspapers and shelves. It is quiet and ordinary, which is the point of the place.
The memorial context
This is where the 1981 fire is remembered. Do not treat it as a photo stop; take a minute to read what is displayed, if anything is.
The rebuilt collection
Much of the original collection could not be replaced. What you see is the post-2001 rebuild.
Before you go
Do this
- Treat it as a working library: keep voices low and phones silent.
- Ask at the entrance before going inside or taking photographs.
- Read about 1981 beforehand so the building makes sense.
- Dress modestly; this is a civic and memorial space.
- Combine with Jaffna Fort, which is a short drive away.
Know this first
- There is little formal interpretation, so you get the history from reading, not signage.
- Opening hours and visitor rules are not published in a source we could check.
- The pre-1981 manuscripts are gone; the collection is a rebuild.
- Accounts of who did what in 1981 are politically charged; stick to documented facts.
Getting to Jaffna Public Library
Most people see Jaffna Public Library as part of a stay around Jaffna. Our Jaffna guide covers where to stay, how long to give it and what else is nearby.
Coming straight from the airport, the relevant run is Colombo Airport to Jaffna — fixed price per vehicle, driver waiting inside arrivals with a name board.
Read the full Jaffna guideFrom Colombo Airport
Car up to 3 passengers; vans quoted on the route page. No night surcharge.
Jaffna Public Library — frequently asked
What is Jaffna Public Library?
A public library founded in 1933 as a private collection and housed from 1959 in a white Indo-Saracenic building. It is Jaffna’s best-known civic landmark.
When was Jaffna Public Library burned?
On the night of 31 May–1 June 1981, during violence in Jaffna. Wikipedia attributes it to police and government-sponsored mobs.
How many books were lost in the fire?
The commonly cited figure is more than 97,000 books and manuscripts. Some of the original collection was never replaced.
Can tourists visit the library?
Yes, it is open to the public as a working library, but hours are not firmly documented. Ask locally and behave as you would in any reading room.
Also worth stopping for around Jaffna
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