Thiriyai
|
Thiriyaya තිරියාය திரியாய் |
|
|---|---|
| Village | |
 Thiriyaya
|
|
| Coordinates: 8°52′13″N 81°0′27″E / 8.87028°N 81.00750°E | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Eastern |
| District | Trincomalee |
| DS Division | Kuchchaveli |
Thiriyaya or Tiriyai (Sinhalese: තිරියාය Thiriyaya, Tamil: திரியாய் tiriyāy) is a small village in the eastern Trincomalee District of Sri Lanka and is an old seaport of the Jaffna Kingdom. It is situated about 25 miles north of Trincomalee town through Nilaveli. Thiriyai is among the ancient Tamil villages of the district and had over 700 families. But due to the ethnic conflict, most families fled the village and are now living elsewhere in the country or overseas. Several Tamil refugees returned to the village in the early 21st century during a ceasefire.
Thiriyai is referred to as Thalakori in the 2nd-century map of Ptolemy. Pre-Christian Tamil Brahmi inscriptions have been found in the area, the oldest belonging to the 2nd century B.C. Thiriyai formed a prominent village of Jaffna's Vannimai districts in the medieval period. The site is home to Mahayana Buddhist vatadage ruins worshipped by the locals during the rise of Tamil Buddhism in the area. During Paramesvaravarman I's reign, the famous Tiriyai Pallava Grantha Manipravalam inscriptions of 7th-8th century Tamilakkam were recorded in the village. The inscription refers to Tamil merchant mariners from Tamil Nadu, their seafaring and commerce to Trincomalee. It details their endowment of this shrine dedicated to the Buddhist deity Avalokitesvara and his consort Tara. Dvarapala sculptures found at the ruins are early contributions of the Pallava school of art to the island. The area has remained predominantly Tamil while Several Sinhalese people has settled in the area as well.
...
Wikipedia