Located near the northernmost town of Point Pedro. The Vallipuram Vishnu temple is one of the oldest on the Jaffna peninsula and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The origins of the temple are believed to be in the 13th century, with an interesting legend associated with it. It is said that a pious lady, Lavalli Ammaiyar, was afflicted with a curse that prevented her from bearing children. Thus she was instructed to visit this site which was sacred to Lord Vishnu. Here she prayed to the deity facing the sea with arms outstretched, hoping that he would appear and grant her wish. Then one day, a large fish jumped into her arms from the nets of a nearby fisherman and as she held this fish it turned into an infant which looked like Lord Vishnu. The infant disappeared, and on consulting a soothsayer, she was presented with a Vishnu Cakkaram or disc of Vishnu which was installed within the Vallipuram Vishnu temple. Every August or September, a festival is held where the sacred object is paraded through the streets allowing devotees to pay homage to it.

Written by Jonathan Roelofsz for Travel Lanka Compass