Poothathamby Arch (Sangili Toppu) in Jaffna

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(3 votes, average: 3.33 out of 5)

Poothathamby Arch (Sangili Toppu) at Jaffna, Sri Lanka

Traveling just 900 meters along the Point Pedro Road from the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil in Jaffna, one comes across a striking colonial-era remnant: a solitary arch sheltered beneath a protective canopy. This structure, situated right beside the road, is popularly known as Sangili Toppu, or alternatively, the Poothathamby Arch. The origins of the arch are surrounded by both folklore and historical interpretation.

Two Names, Two Stories

A popular local belief claims that the arch once marked the entrance to the palace of King Sangili, the last ruler of the sub-kingdom of Jaffna in the early 16th century. However, local consensus suggests otherwise. According to local views, the arch was actually part of the grand mansion belonging to Poothathamby, a wealthy Tamil administrator during the Dutch period. Consequently, the site is more accurately known as the Poothathamby Arch.

A fascinating reference to this structure is found in Philippe Fabry’s travel guide The Essential Guide for Jaffna (Viator Publications, Colombo, 2003), which offers this perspective on the identity of the arch:

“This arch bears the name of King Sangili, or Sankili (1519), and some authors believe it marks the entrance to the palace from which only this ornamental arch still remains. Locals also call it Poothathamby Vealaivu (arch), and Dr. Kunarasa says that it was the headquarters of Poothathamby Mudaliyar, a Tamil Mudaliyar (administrator) from the Dutch period.”

The life and tragic fate of Poothathamby are the subject of a blend of folklore, colonial documentation, and dramatic interpretation. Historical records state that Poothathamby was executed by the Dutch for treason. However, this tale took on a more theatrical turn through a local nadagam drama, composed by the poet Pareemalam around 1830.

This dramatic retelling portrays Poothathamby as the tragic hero, with Mudaliyar Andrado, a Dutch government official, cast as the villain. At the heart of the conflict lies Poothathamby’s beautiful wife, whom Andrado lusts after. When she rejects his advances, Andrado, overcome with fury, allegedly fabricates charges against Poothathamby, accusing him of colluding with the Portuguese. These false accusations lead to Poothathamby’s execution.

Fiction Turned History

Decades later, in 1905, a young lawyer named S. Kathiresu further blurred the lines between legend and history by publishing “Handbook to the Jaffna Peninsula”. Drawing heavily on the dramatic script of Pareemalam, Kathiresu wove its storyline into his historical account of Jaffna. His work significantly shaped the public memory of Poothathamby’s fate, embedding elements of fiction into historical discourse.

A Scholarly Rebuttal: John H. Martyn’s “Notes on Jaffna”

The historical accuracy of Kathiresu’s version came under scrutiny in 1923, when John H. Martyn published Notes on Jaffna. Drawing upon earlier Dutch records such as Philips Baelde’s 1671 publication Description of the East Indian Countries of Malabar, Coromandel, Ceylon, Martyn sought to compare factual history with Kathiresu’s dramatized account.

According to Martyn, Don Manuel Andrado was described by Baelde as a Sinhalese, a Mudaliyar, and a captain serving the Dutch East India Company. Don Lewis Poothathamby, on the other hand, was a native of Jaffna. Martyn questioned the validity of referring to Poothathamby as a “Mudaliyar,” suggesting that such a title lacks credible documentation and may have been a later attribution.

Martyn offers a more cynical view of Poothathamby’s political manoeuvring. He argues that Poothathamby tried to court favor with both the Portuguese and the Dutch—two colonial rivals—without showing true allegiance to either. Comparing his behavior to the bat in Aesop’s fable that played both sides in a battle between birds and beasts, Martyn concludes that Poothathamby’s opportunism led to his downfall. His treachery, in Martyn’s view, was not a tragedy but a cautionary tale for posterity:

“”Andrado and Poothatamby were the representatives of two rival sections of the community. Don Manuel Andrado is described by Baldaeus as a Singhalese, a Mudaliyar and a Captain in the service of the noble Dutch Company. Don Lewis Poothatamby was a native of Jaffna; but there is no better or higher authority available than that of Katiresu for dubbing him a Mudaliyar. He certainly held no position similar or equal to that of Andrado. He was evidently a man, who, as the fitting sample and representative of his class, was playing a double part in his day, just in the same fashion as the bat in Aesop’s fable of the battle between the birds and the beasts. His sole aim seems to have been to curry favour with the Portuguese as well as with the Dutch, unmindful of the fact of their being belligerents and enemies, as the means of finding his way to some object of self-aggrandisement. He however stood neither by the Dutch nor by the Portuguese as the firm friend of either and his treachery which finally revealed his dangerous and despicable character met with the awful punishment it fully deserved, serving as a warning to all his descendants and admirers. But have his descendants and admirers profited by the warning?””

References

Fabry, P., Fabry-Bewley, L., Fabry, A. and Fabry, E., 2003. The essential guide for Jaffna and its region. 1st ed. Negombo, Sri Lanka: Viator Publications.
Katiresu, S., 1905. A hand book to the Jaffna Peninsula and a souvenir of the opening of the railway to the North. 1st ed. Tellippallai: American Ceylon Misson Press.
MARTYN, J., 1923. Notes on Jaffna, chronological, historical, biographical. American Ceylon Mission Press: Tellippalai.

Also See

Map of Poothathamby Arch (Sangili Toppu) in Jaffna

Click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map

Show Location on Google Maps

The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.

Traveling Directions to Poothathamby Arch (Sangili Toppu) in Jaffna

Jaffna can be reached through two principal routes. The most commonly used approach is via Elephant Pass, which has long served as the traditional gateway to the Jaffna Peninsula.

An alternative route reaches Jaffna from the direction of Pooneryn by crossing the Sangupiddy Bridge. This crossing follows what was historically the ancient route to the peninsula before the construction of modern highways. The route provides a connection between Jaffna and the Mannar region.

Route 01 from Colombo to Jaffna Through Kurunegala (Popular Route)	Route 02 from Colombo to Jaffna Through Puttalam and Pooneryn (Lesser Traveled Route)
Through : Kurunegala – Dambulla – Anuradhapura – Vavuniya Distance: 410 km Travel Time: 7-8 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.	Through: Puttalam – Thantirimale – Mannar – Poonaryn Distance: 408 km Travel Time: 8 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.