Elephant Pass

Wikipedia - wikipedia.org

Owing to its colonial history, the bridge was named Elephant Pass as the route was used to transport elephants to the Jaffna peninsula from the mainland. Though this is not the case at present, the Elephant Pass has evolved as a major tourist attraction, transporting people across the Jaffna Lagoon. The causeway is surrounded by the majestic waters of the Indian Ocean, and inhabited with distinctive water and wader birds.

Built in 1952, the area used to be the island’s largest salt field supplying 30-40% of the country’s salt demand. The salt operations were abandoned, however, due to the major ‘Battles of Elephant Pass’ in 1991, 2000 and 2009, where the Sri Lankan Army and LTTE attempted to gain control of this strategic location. You can observe a war memorial based on the Elephant Pass, dedicated to Corporal Gamini, which was set up with the remains of the bulldozer he demolished during the civil war.