View source for Old Park

{{about|the park in Sri Lanka|the hamlet in Cornwall|Old Park, Cornwall}}
{{Infobox park
| name = Old Park
| alt_name = பழைய பூங்கா
| photo = Old Kachcheri (Old Park) Jaffna.jpg
| photo_width =
| photo_caption = Ruins of old Kachcheri / governor's bungalow
| photo_alt =
| map = Sri Lanka Jaffna Central
| map_alt =
| map_width =
| map_caption = Location in central Jaffna
| label = Old Park
| label_position = right
| coords = {{coord|9|39|31.40|N|80|01|46.10|E|region:LK-4|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| type = [[Urban park]]
| location = [[Jaffna]], [[Sri Lanka]]
| nearest_city =
| area = {{convert|27|acre|ha sqmi|lk=on}}
| elevation =
| created =
| designer =
| etymology =
| operator =
| status =
| awards =
| open =
| website =
}}
'''Old Park''' ({{langx|ta|பழைய பூங்கா}} ''Paḻaiya Pūṅkā'') is a 27 [[acre]] [[urban park]] in the city of [[Jaffna]] in northern [[Sri Lanka]]. It was originally built in the 19th century as the gardens and grounds of the residency of the [[British Ceylon|British]] [[Government Agent (Sri Lanka)|Government Agent]] for the [[Northern Province, Sri Lanka|Northern Province]].
==History==
[[File:Ruins of Governor's Bungalow 3, Jaffna.jpg|thumb|left|Old kachcheri building in Old Park before the renovation]]
British Government Agent Percival Ackland Dyke purchased a 27-acre land in Jaffna using his own funds to serve as his residency and gardens/grounds.<ref name=ST161108>{{cite news|last=Amarasekera|first=Ranji|title=Being one with Jaffna|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/081116/Plus/sundaytimesplus_16.html|newspaper=[[The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)]]|date=16 November 2008}}</ref> Dyke served as Government Collector for Jaffna for four years (1829–33) and Government Agent for the Northern Province for 32 years (1833–43; 1843–60; 1861–67).{{sfn|Martyn|1923|p=15}}{{sfn|Martyn|1923|p=16}}{{sfn|Bastiampillai|1987|p=175}}{{sfn|Martyn|1923|p=32}} Dyke was known as the "Raja of the North".{{sfn|Martyn|1923|p=16}}{{sfn|Bastiampillai|1987|p=176}} He was buried at St. John's Cemetery at [[Chundikuli]], Jaffna after his death on 9 October 1867.{{sfn|Bastiampillai|1987|p=175}} Dyke [[bequeathed]] Old Park, via an irrevocable [[deed of gift]] through [[Queen Victoria]], to his successors rent free.<ref name=ST161108/>{{sfn|Bastiampillai|1987|p=179}}
The residency building was in one corner of the land and the rest of the woodland consisted of trees.<ref name=TI251111>{{cite news|last=Shanie|title=Reconstruct not desecrate Jaffna landmarks|url=http://island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=39803|newspaper=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)]]|date=25 November 2011}}</ref> Old Park had some rare trees ([[mahogany]], [[Pericopsis mooniana|nedun]], [[ironwood]], [[Adansonia digitata|baobab]], [[lignum vitae]]) as well as trees common to the region ([[Mangifera|mango]], [[tamarind]]).<ref name=ST161108/> The income earned from the mango and tamarind fruits was used to maintain the park.<ref name=ST161108/> The park also contained a variety of fauna including bats and butterflies.<ref name=TI251111/>
As [[Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups|militancy]] increased in northern Sri Lanka in the late 1970s/early 1980s the [[Sri Lanka Army|army]] stationed troops at Old Park.<ref>{{cite news|last=Fernando|first=Lalin|title=Direction Jaffna (1980) - Reminiscences|url=http://www.island.lk/2009/06/21/features2.html|newspaper=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)]]|date=21 June 2009}}</ref> When the rebel [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] controlled Jaffna in the late 1980s/early 1990s they occupied Old Park.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hoole|first=Rajan|title=Broken Palmyra|year=1190|publisher=[[University Teachers for Human Rights]]|url=http://www.uthr.org/BP/volume1/Chapter5.htm|chapter=Chapter 5: The Growth of the Tamil Militancy|authorlink=Rajan Hoole}}</ref> A large army camp was once gain based at Old Park after the [[Sri Lankan military]] recaptured the city in 1995.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Jeyaraj|first=D. B. S.|title=The battle for Jaffna|journal=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]]|date=27 May 2000|volume=17|issue=11|url=http://www.frontline.in/navigation/?type=static&page=flonnet&rdurl=fl1711/17110120.htm|authorlink=}}</ref>
After the end of the [[Sri Lankan Civil War|civil war]] the [[Northern Provincial Council|provincial administration]] was moved from Varothayanagar, [[Trincomalee]] to Old Park in Jaffna.<ref>{{cite news|title=SL governor threatens Vanni NGOs to ‘donate’ money to Buddhist stupas|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=34183|newspaper=[[TamilNet]]|date=14 July 2011}}</ref> In July 2011 Minister of National Heritage [[Jagath Balasuriya]] declared the old [[Kachcheri]] building in Old Park to be a "Protected Monument".<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.documents.gov.lk/gazette/2011/PDF/Sep/02Sep2011/I-I%28E%292011.09.02.pdf|date=2 September 2011|title=Government Notifications - THE ANTIQUITIES ORDINANCE (CHAPTER 188) Order under Section 19|journal=[[The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka]]|volume=1722|access-date=28 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923223824/http://www.documents.gov.lk/gazette/2011/PDF/Sep/02Sep2011/I-I%28E%292011.09.02.pdf|archive-date=23 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> In September 2011 it was alleged that parts of Old Park had been destroyed on the orders of Major General [[G. A. Chandrasiri]], the [[List of Governors of Northern Province|Governor of the Northern Province]].<ref name=TI251111/><ref>{{cite news|last=Parameswaran|first=N.|title=Protest over Governor's order to demolish 'Old Park' in Jaffna|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/latest/11451-protest-over-governors-order-to-demolish-old-park-in-jaffna-.html|newspaper=[[The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)]]|date=28 September 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928153220/http://sundaytimes.lk/latest/11451-protest-over-governors-order-to-demolish-old-park-in-jaffna-.html|archivedate=28 September 2011}}</ref><ref name=TN110911>{{cite news|title=Sri Lanka governor demolishes British heritage in Jaffna|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=34476|newspaper=[[TamilNet]]|date=11 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Perera|first=Jehan|title=Scapegoating of a general|url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=36034|newspaper=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)]]|date=3 October 2011}}</ref> Chandrasiri denied the allegations.<ref name=DM290911>{{cite news|title=Historical Old Park in Jaffna town demolished|url=http://print2.dailymirror.lk/news/news/57592.html|newspaper=[[The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)]]|date=29 September 2011|access-date=28 April 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130703020300/http://print2.dailymirror.lk/news/news/57592.html|archive-date=3 July 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Rajasingham|first=K. T.|title=Governor denies demolishing any building in the Jaffna Old Park|url=http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2011/09/28/governor-denies-demolishing-any-building-jaffna-old-park|newspaper=[[Asian Tribune]]|date=29 September 2011}}</ref> It was also alleged that Chandrasiri was building himself a [[Sri Lankan rupee|Rs.]] 190 million bungalow at Old Park.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jaffna Fort getting Dutch aid to build ’Rajapaksa’ mansion|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=34432|newspaper=[[TamilNet]]|date=18 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=SL military governor builds expensive bungalow, diverts aid to Sinhala colonists|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=34741|newspaper=[[TamilNet]]|date=28 December 2011}}</ref>
The renovated Old Park was opened to the public in July 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=Renovated Old Park declared open for public use|url=http://np.gov.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1844%3Arenovated-old-park-declared-open-for-public-use-20-july-2012&Itemid=8|publisher=[[Northern Provincial Council]]|date=20 July 2012}}</ref>
==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}}
==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Martyn|first=John H.|title=Notes on Jaffna - Chronological, Historical, Biographical|year=1923|publisher=[[American Ceylon Mission]] Press|location=[[Tellippalai]]|isbn=81-206-1670-7|url=http://www.noolaham.org/wiki/index.php?title=Notes_on_Jaffna_-_Chronological%2C_Historical%2C_Biographical}}
* {{cite journal|last=Bastiampillai|first=Bertram E .S. J|title=The Rajah of the North: Percival Acland Dyke;Pro-consul of the British in Mid-Nineteenth Century Northern Sri Lanka|journal=Modern Sri Lanka Studies|year=1987|volume=2|issue=1&2|pages=173–184|url=http://www.dlib.pdn.ac.lk:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/3150/1/E.S.J.Bastiampillai%20Vol.II%20No.01%20%26%2002%20Jan-Dec%201987.pdf|publisher=[[University of Peradeniya]]}}
{{refend}}
[[Category:Parks in Jaffna]]
[[Category:Archaeological protected monuments in Jaffna District]]