TOWARDS OUR PLACES – Meesalai
Meesalai is a great town in the south east of Jaffna in Tamileelam.
Tamils will give name to the land they live in and admire the specialty of land. They kept the Tamil language names as a sign of the land where they lived to preserve the identity of the Tamils around the world. In documentary of the town Cameroun in Africa, the names of the town, names of the mountains are referred to the Tamil language. It gives the world the ancient connection of Tamil and the archeological genetic evidence of Tamil. In that way, we will today look at the town Meesaalai of Jaffna.
Meesaalai
The mango in Thenmaradchi also reminds us of Meesalai mangoes. Although mangos are found everywhere in the Thenmaradchi region. There are many mangos in Meesalai. Ancestors say that the name Meesalai came from the causal name ‘Ma-solai’, means mango garden.
The town was divided from south to north during the British rule and is now divided into north east and east west. Kodikamam – Thiruvaram – Mandu Vilay in the north, Allaray in the east, Savakacheri in the south and Maduvil – Sarasalay in the west. To the north of Meesalai there are two villages, Kalladivedday and Vembiray. Kalladivedday is village with is rocks. There is an area southeast of Meesalai called Kokkatiyankadu. Varani – Savakacheri Dachu Road, Puthoor – Meesalai Road, Kandy – Jaffna Highway, Meesalai – Kachai Road. These are the big reads here. There are many crossroads connecting these. There are stories that say, there is a connection between Sangiliyan period and Meesalai. It is still being researched.
The village has about 1250 families and a population of up to 5000 people. The streets have resting places and water places. People will take place here at take some rest during their trip. People who need water will stop and take water from the well. There are also horse-drawn carriages which were used by officers during the English period. The junctions here are Vembiray Junction, Kaniyadi Junction, Vahaiyadi Junction, Aiya Kadayadi Junction, Allaray Junction and Meesalai Junction. There is also a field on the east of Meesalai called Kokkatiyankadu.
The village Meesalai is neither a village nor a city. There is a small railway station, a sub-post office, and electricity and bus stand in the central area. Normally all buses goes from Jaffna-Kandy road to Puthoor-Meesalai road in the morning and evening every day.
There are stories said, that Meesalai became Meesalai shortened from “Meensalai”, which means fish area.
The evidence is simple. There are fishermen in the eastern part of Meesalai. There were also a number of mangos in the village. Many are very sweet mangos. Now there grows different mangos called karuthay colomban, vellai colomban, ambalavi, vilad, pandi, kalakaddi, sembattan, navakkiri, pachaithinni, selam. in those places. Of these, only sembattan is the taste of the old tasty mango. It is a red mango. But this mango has a bee in it. When you cut the mango the bee flies out. There are also fruit like jackfruit, palm, panai, banana, drumstick, lemon and orange.
Meesalai has always been a common place in the news after the LTTE had Muhamalai in the forefront after the Jaffna displacement.
Meesalai, which has many heroic treasures, warriors and many wartime histories, is bravely known for its patriotism and loneliness. Meesalai also has many maveerar´s and fighters´ wartime histories. The village has always been heroic with its patriotism.
Veerasingam Shaiva School
Veerasingam Periyar observed the establishment of English schools in the village by Christian missionaries in the early twentieth century in Jaffna with the aim of spreading their religion. He then started a Tamil Shaiva School in Meesalai, and then Tamil people would not convert.
Vaddakachchi . Vinoth
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