Tamil devotees attempting to visit the historic Palaly Raja Rajeshwari Amman Temple on Saturday were once again barred from entering by the Sri Lankan military, just a day after they were granted unrestricted access for the first time in 35 years.
The temple, located within the militarised Palaly area of Jaffna, has remained inaccessible to the public since June 15, 1990, when Tamil residents were forcibly displaced during the height of the armed conflict. Since then, Palaly has been designated a ‘High-Security Zone’ (HSZ) and placed under tight military control.
Though the Sri Lankan military had reportedly announced over six months ago that the public would be granted free access to the temple, this promise had not been fully implemented. Devotees had only been allowed to visit the temple on rare, special occasions and under heavy restrictions.
Earlier this month the military opened a newly designated route within the HSZ, allowing worshippers to access the temple directly for prayers. For many, this marked the first time in decades they could worship freely at the sacred site, prompting an outpouring of emotion and gratitude.
But that brief reprieve was short-lived. When devotees returned the following day, they were met with a barbed-wire barricade and two Sri Lankan soldiers stationed at the entrance, preventing further access. Worshippers were told the path was closed and that entry was no longer permitted.
In a moving act of resistance, the devotees conducted prayers at the very edge of the military barrier. They broke coconuts, lit camphor, and placed flower offerings on the ground - performing rituals from afar in silent defiance of the army’s blockade.
The abrupt reversal has caused frustration and renewed criticism of the continued militarisation of Tamil spaces in the North-East. The Palaly HSZ remains one of the most heavily fortified regions in the Jaffna peninsula, where tens of thousands of acres of Tamil land remain under military occupation, despite repeated calls for demilitarisation and the return of land to its rightful owners.
