Chankanai () is a town located north-west of

Jaffna Jaffna (, ; , ) is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka, Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a Jaffna Peninsula, peninsula of the same name. With a population o ...

, Sri Lanka.

Etymology

It is believed that the name Chankanai originated from its market roots. This was a famous trading place. The measurements used for rice in old era were "Changazhi", "Nazhi" and "Uzhi". The name originated from a combination of these three measuring containers. There is a similar place name found in

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

is known as

Changanassery Changanassery, () formerly Changanacherry, is a municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 ...

. Both the places are related with markets and trading places.

History

There is a church from Dutch colonial rule that was built by the Portuguese and later improved by the Dutch. The town's name was during the Dutch colonial rule known as Changane and served as the same name for the upper lever administration parish.

Geography

Chankanai is surrounded by Nitchamam, Thottilady,

Sandilipay Sandilipay is a town located 10 km from the City of Jaffna, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Oce ...

, Kattudai, Sithankerny.

Political Division

Chankanai Town is administratively divided among the Grama Niladhari Divisions of

Chankanai Centre Chankanai () is a town located north-west of Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Etymology It is believed that the name Chankanai originated from its market roots. This was a famous trading place. The measurements used for rice in old era were "Changazhi", "Nazh ...

Chankanai West Chankanai () is a town located north-west of Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Etymology It is believed that the name Chankanai originated from its market roots. This was a famous trading place. The measurements used for rice in old era were "Changazhi", "Nazh ...

Chankanai South Chankanai () is a town located north-west of Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Etymology It is believed that the name Chankanai originated from its market roots. This was a famous trading place. The measurements used for rice in old era were "Changazhi", "Nazh ...

, and

Chankanai East Chankanai () is a town located north-west of Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Etymology It is believed that the name Chankanai originated from its market roots. This was a famous trading place. The measurements used for rice in old era were "Changazhi", "Nazh ...

. These divisions fall under the Divisional Secretariat of

Valikamam West Valikamam West (; ) is a Divisional Secretariat of Jaffna District, of Northern Province, Sri Lanka. In official government records and statistical data, the division is referred to as Chankanai, after the administrative center. Etymology Al ...

Jaffna District Jaffna District ( ''Yāḻppāṇam Māvaṭṭam''; ''yāpanaya distrikkaya'') is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a ...

Urban Development

The town of Chankanai is currently classified as a third-order city, and according to the Jaffna District Urban Development Plan 2034, it is expected to be upgraded to a second-order city. This reflects the development potential of Valikamam West.

Health

Chankanai has a Peripheral Unit

government hospital A public hospital, or government hospital, is a hospital which is government owned and is predominantly funded by the government and operates predominantly off the money that is collected from taxpayers to fund healthcare initiatives. In almost al ...

, called Chankanai Divisional Hospital, with 76 beds as of 2010. It is controlled by the

provincial government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, o ...

and is also the only hospital in Northern Province that provides telemetry services for neurorehabilitation.

References

{{NorthernLK-geo-stub Towns in Jaffna District Valikamam West DS Division