Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Kayts


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Kayts
Island
Kayts is located in Sri Lanka
Kayts
Kayts
Coordinates: 9°40′0″N 79°52′0″E / 9.66667°N 79.86667°E / 9.66667; 79.86667
Country Sri Lanka
Province Northern
District Jaffna
DS Division Islands North

Kayts, also known as Leiden in Dutch, is a small island off the coast of minority Sri Lankan Tamil dominated Jaffna Peninsula in the North of Sri Lanka. It is also sometimes referred to as Velanai. Kayts is also the name of an important village within the Island. There are number of other villages within the island such as Allaipiddy, Naranthanai and Karampan.

It is divided into 9 wards and each ward represented by a councilor in the local municipal council. The majority of the people are Hindus along with a minority of Muslims and Christians. There are number of Hindu Temples along with a Church and a Mosque. The island is also served by a dozen schools. Waithilingham Duraiswamy a well known member of parliament during the British colonial period and his son Yogendra Duraiswamy a Hindu activist and well known diplomat were born in Kayts.

Since 1983 Kayts Island has also been the scene of violence as part of the Sri Lankan civil war including the Allaipiddy massacre [1][2]

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Coordinates: 9°40′N 79°52′E / 9.667°N 79.867°E / 9.667; 79.867

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