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Recent developments surrounding the historic Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya in the Thaiyiddy area of Kankasanthurai, Jaffna, have sparked widespread discussion on social media. This clarification addresses claims circulating online alleging that the temple premises are set to be divided under a plan by the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha.
Social Media Posts :
A post circulating on social media stated: “Plans by the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha to divide the historic Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya premises in Jaffna—we condemn this extremist act against Buddhism.” It further alleged that the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha had decided to use its administrative powers to arbitrarily divide 21 acres of land belonging to the historic Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya in Kankasanthurai.
The relevant post had been widely circulated across social media as follows.
Facebook Post 1 | Facebook Post 2 | Facebook Post 3
As various discussions have recently emerged regarding the land ownership of the Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya premises in Jaffna, we decided to investigate the accuracy of these claims.
Explainer :
Following the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka, reconstruction work began on the war damaged Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya. Since then, there have been several instances of controversy over the temple and its land ownership, with protests raised claiming that the land on which the temple stands belongs to private individuals, along with repeated calls for the release of the acquired land. Further details can be found here, here, and here.
Against this backdrop, the above social media post was circulated claiming that the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha had plans to divide the land belonging to the Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya in Jaffna. The post further alleged that the council had decided to arbitrarily partition around 21 acres of land under its administrative authority, and it also shared a letter reportedly sent by the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha to the chief incumbent monk of the temple. The said letter is provided below.
We examined the contents of the letter written in Tamil to verify what it actually stated.
The Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha, under reference number NP/14/41(14)/06/01/NA/Gen/2026, issued a letter dated 29 April 2026 to the chief incumbent of the Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya, Ven. Jinthota Nandarama Thero. The subject of the letter was stated as “removal of a barrier and boundary markings installed on a public road.” The letter further notes that, under Section 59(1) of the Pradeshiya Sabha Act No. 15 of 1987, residents are instructed to remove the boundary markings and obstructions placed on a section of the Thaiyiddy Bhavani Road, which is claimed to fall under the authority of the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha, by 11 May 2026.
The letter also asks that all relevant documents and confirmations related to the adjoining land be submitted to the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha before 11 May 2026. It further states that if this is not done, action may be taken under Section 59(2) of the Pradeshiya Sabha Act No. 15 of 1987, including recovering costs under Section 59(3), and that legal action may also follow.
However, the letter does not mention any plan to divide or partition the 21 acres of land belonging to the Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya.
During the construction of the Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya in Thaiyiddy, the Pradeshiya Sabha said that Bhavani Road had been included within the temple premises through fencing and boundary markings. The Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha stated that Bhavani Road is a public road under the authority of the Tellippalai Divisional Secretariat and the Pradeshiya Sabha. On 28 April 2026, surveyors were deployed under the supervision of Chairman S. Sughirthan to measure and mark the section of Bhavani Road that had been included within the temple land. Following this, on 29 April 2026, the Pradeshiya Sabha issued a letter to the chief incumbent of the temple instructing, under Section 59(1) of the Pradeshiya Sabha Act No. 15 of 1987, that the fences and barriers blocking the road be removed and the road reopened by 11 May 2026. The letter also asked for relevant land documents to be submitted for verification before that date. More details regarding this can be found here.
Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha Statement
We contacted S. Sughirthan, Chairman of the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha, for clarification. He confirmed that a formal notice was issued to the chief incumbent of the Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya, instructing the removal of boundary markers and obstructions on Thaiyiddy Bhavani Road, which falls under the council’s jurisdiction. Sughirthan further noted that the temple authorities failed to engage with the legal process by the May 11, 2026 deadline. The matter is currently under judicial review, with a final court decision expected on May 21, 2026. He emphasized that claims alleging an attempt to divide 21 acres of temple land are entirely misleading.
Palali Police Station Clarification
We also spoke with the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Palali Police Station, the jurisdictional authority for the temple. He confirmed that the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha had issued a notice regarding illegal obstructions on a public road and that the matter has been reported to the courts. Furthermore, he mentioned that a national-level committee has been appointed to investigate the issue. The Magistrate is scheduled to deliver a ruling on May 21, and any subsequent actions will be dictated by the court’s decision.
Reports from Local Correspondents
Local reporters in the area corroborated these findings, stating there are no reports of any attempt by the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha to arbitrarily partition 21 acres of temple land. They reiterated that the dispute is confined to the removal of boundary markers on a road claimed by the Pradeshiya Sabha, a matter currently awaiting a court ruling on May 21.
In conclusion, investigation reveals that the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha issued a notice specifically regarding the removal of obstructions on a public road under its authority. While social media posts alleged a partition of 21 acres of temple land, there is no verified evidence to support such claims, and the official council correspondence makes no mention of a land division of that scale.
Attempts to contact the chief incumbent monk of the Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya were unsuccessful. This report may be updated following the court ruling on the Thaiyiddy Bhavani Road matter, expected on May 21.
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Title: No Evidence of Plan to Divide Jaffna Tissa Viharaya Premises by Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha
Fact Check By: B.P Hansani
Result: Insight
