Nilawarai – ‘Bottomless Well’ in Jaffna Peninsula - By Arundathie Abeysinghe

Nilawarai – ‘Bottomless Well’ in Jaffna Peninsula – By Arundathie Abeysinghe

Located in Puttur, approximately 14 kilometers northeast of *Jaffna, Nilawari (also spelt as Nilawarai or Nilavari) is the largest freshwater well in Jaffna Peninsula. Although, the water in the well is brackish, villagers are of the view that it is potable water. Some villages are of the view that the well was created by Prince *Rama. According to villagers in Puttur, the water in the well never dries up even during prolonged periods of drought. The well is approximately 44 meters deep. The rectangular basin of the well surrounded by rock surface is 13 meters long and 10 meters wide. Currently, the water of the well is utilized for irrigation purposes.

Scholars are of the view that the well was caused due to collapse of the top layer of soil exposing a limestone cavern connected to an underground water source.

Nilawarai is considered as a destination of *Ramayana Trail pilgrims, as its origin is connected to the arrival of Rama to Sri Lanka. When Rama’s army arrived in the Northern peninsula, they had faced a water crisis due to dry weather. Rama had shot a magic arrow into the ground and water has sprung out immediately.

There are ruins of a Buddhist temple and a Hindu *Kovil near Nilawarai well. An elegant torso of a Buddha Statue carved from limestone found at the Nilawarai well is currently displayed at Jaffna Museum. There are also ruins of a dagoba (stupa), remains of a rectangular building (which may have been an Image House), a *Bo tree and a deep well. belonging to the 10th century in the premises. According to legends, there had been an ancient cave where Hindu saints have led a contemplative life. Hence, the location signifies an archaeologically significant location and a sacred place for residents and visitors, Buddhists as well as Hindus from ancient times.

As Nilawarai is a tidal well, the level of the water surface fluctuates a few centimeters every 12 hours. This phenomenon is vindicated by a subterranean link to the ocean. According to legends, there is a tunnel between Nilawarai and *Keerimalai, the two key freshwater wells of Jaffna Peninsula. Scholars are of the view that the salinity of the water is higher at the bottom of the well, whereas, the water on the surface is freshwater. This phenomenon is caused by an influx of freshwater from subterranean springs that are higher than the bottom of the well.

During the British Colonial era, there had been an attempt to establish a leprosy sanatorium near Nilawarai well. Villagers in the vicinity have objected the plan as they regarded the location of the well including the adjacent areas as a desecration of the sacred site.

Similar to many ancient wells in Sri Lanka and India, there is a flight of steps that lead to the water level, approximately four meters below the surface level.

According to research carried out in the past by a team of experts, utilizing a special instrument, water (obtained from the well) that was stored in sealed bottles and tested in a laboratory in the United Kingdom (for chemical analysis of the contents), the samples of water (obtained from the bottom of the well) smelt strongly of sulphureted hydrogen and the brackishness of water commenced between 12-15 meters in depth. Hence, it was ascertained that the salty taste was due to salt water entering the well at this height.

According to naval sources, an automated diving robot was utilized by divers of Sri Lanka Navy during an expedition to the bottom of the well. They had discovered that the bottom of the well was located at 52.5 meters and fresh water existed in the first 18.3 meters and turned salty towards the bottom of the well. According to naval divers, there are several tunnels at the bottom of the well that lead to different directions at various heights and there were also debris of three carts that had fallen into the well.

Some villagers are of the view that when a lime fruit is thrown to the well, it appears in the Keerimalai Sea located 10 kilometers away from the well.

Bo Tree – Also known as Bodhi Tree is a specific sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa) under which the Buddha had attained *Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, India.
God Vishnu – Supreme God of Vaishnavism (one of the three principal denominations of Hinduism) and one of the three supreme deities of Hinduism. He is also conceived as “the Preserver or the Protector” within the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the divinity.
Enlightenment – In Buddhism, Enlightenment is when a Buddhist finds the truth about life and stops being reborn as he/she has reached *Nirvana.
Jaffna – Capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka and the administrative headquarters of Jaffna District, Jaffna is located on Jaffna Peninsula. In 1621, during the Portuguese Colonial Era, the Portuguese established Jaffna City as their colonial administrative center.
Kovil – A distinct type of Hindu Temple meaning “Residence of God”, Kovil also refers to a place of worship.
Nirvana – Refers to a release from the cycle of death and rebirth, the ultimate spiritual goal of Buddhism.
Ramayana – This is an ancient Indian epic composed in 500 BCE to 100 BCE by Indian sage Valmiki. This epic composed in Sanskrit describes the conquest of Sri Lanka in 3000 BC by Prince Rama (Prince of Ayodhya, the eldest and favorite son of King Dasaratha, King of Ayodhya). Rama is an incarnation of *God Vishnu who fought with demon King *Rawana (legendary emperor of Sri Lanka) to rescue his wife Princess Sita.
Rawana – The mythical multi-headed demon-king in Hindu mythology Ramayana and considered as a symbol of evil who fought and lost a series of epic battles against the hero Rama.