A passenger ferry service from Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu in southern India to Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka is being resumed after several months.
This has revived the potential for strengthening cultural and economic ties between India and Sri Lanka. What is this ferry service all about?
On August 16, ‘Sivagangai’, a passenger ferry service will set sail from the Nagapattinam port and it will reach Kankesanthurai port in about four hours.
Historically, India and Sri Lanka have had very close maritime ties. However, the Civil War in the island nation that lasted for about 25 years had disrupted the movement of goods and passengers on traditional sea routes. The two routes linking the two countries included one from Talaimannar to Rameswaram and the other from Thoothukudi to Colombo.
After the end of the Civil War in Sri Lanka in 2009, the efforts to revive the maritime ties between the two nations began.
