The Indian government will build a cultural centre in Jaffna. A Memorandum of Understanding signed by Indian High Commissioner Y.K. Sinha and Secretary to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Economic Development Nihal Jayathilaka here on Monday said an integrated cultural space would come up at a cost of LKR 1.2 billion. Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa was present on the occasion.
To be built in three years near the Jaffna Public Library, the centre and the adjoining water body — the Pullukulam — will be transformed into an integrated cultural space that can accommodate open-air performances with the help of a floating stage, the Indian High Commission said.
The centre aims to provide suitable social infrastructure for the people of the Northern Province, especially those in Jaffna, to help them reconnect with their cultural roots and the rest of the country, and to rejuvenate and nurture the ancient cultural heritage of Jaffna.