Thalsevana Holiday Resort

Coordinates: 9°48′57.30″N 80°02′55.00″E / 9.8159167°N 80.0486111°E / 9.8159167; 80.0486111
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Thalsevana Holiday Resort
Map
Former namesKankesanthurai Rest House
General information
Town or cityKankesanthurai
CountrySri Lanka
Coordinates9°48′57.30″N 80°02′55.00″E / 9.8159167°N 80.0486111°E / 9.8159167; 80.0486111
Current tenantsSri Lanka Army
Renovated2 October 2010
OwnerGovernment of Sri Lanka
Other information
Number of rooms31
Website
thalsevanaresort.com

Thalsevana Holiday Resort is a holiday resort on the northern coast of Sri Lanka near the town of Kankesanthurai. Formerly Kankesanthurai Rest House, it was taken over by the Sri Lankan military during the civil war. After the civil war the military renovated the buildings and turned them into a holiday resort.

History[edit]

During British colonial rule a network of rest houses were built around Ceylon.[1] Kankesanthurai Rest House was run by the Northern Provincial Road Committee.[2] After independence the rest houses were taken over by the state owned Ceylon Hotels Corporation.[1]

In 1990 the Sri Lankan military declared a large area of the north of the Valikamam region a High Security Zone (HSZ) and forcibly evicted all the residents in the area without offering them compensation.[3] Kankesanthurai Rest House was deep inside the HSZ. It was taken over by the Sri Lankan military and used as an officer's mess.[4][5][6] After the civil war ended the military renovated the buildings and turned them into a holiday resort known as Thalsevana. The renovated resort opened on 2 October 2010.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Holmes, W. Robert. Jaffna 1980. The Christian Institute for the Study of Religion Society of Jaffna College. p. 100.
  2. ^ The Automobile Association Of Ceylon Handbook. The Automobile Association Of Ceylon. 1950. p. 141.
  3. ^ Brady, Brendan (30 August 2013). "Soldiers at Your Service". Slate.
  4. ^ "In bigger barracks". The Economist. 2 June 2011.
  5. ^ Bedi, Rahul (20 August 2011). "Armed, dangerous and building their own empires". The New Zealand Herald.
  6. ^ Jayasuriya, Ranga. "Army's new civilian role - is this a good signal?". Lakbima. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012.
  7. ^ "Thal Sevana Holiday Resort in Kankasanturai". The Island (Sri Lanka). 15 May 2011.