In Pictures - Jaffna memorial shrine inaugurated honouring Tamil Eelam’s fallen

A memorial shrine honouring fallen cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was inaugurated in Nallur on Friday evening, marking the opening day of this year’s Heroes’ Week commemorations.

The ceremony began at 6 p.m. with the lighting of the flame by Thambirasa, the father of a Maaveerar – or Great Hero – a term used to refer to fallen fighters. Floral tributes followed, with attendees garlanding the symbolic tomb and paying homage before portraits of fallen cadres placed within the memorial by their parents.

Dignitaries from several political parties, including Shritharan from the ITAK, alongside parents and relatives of the cadres, gathered to pay their respects at the newly established Nallur Memorial Shrine. This year’s installation features portrayals of those who sacrificed their lives for the Tamil homeland, as well as displays recognising humanitarians, patriots and preserved historical documents.

The organising committee called on families to bring younger generations to the site, describing the memorial as a place where the legacy of the Maaveerar will endure across time. Visitors were encouraged to leave written reflections in the memorial’s record.

Earlier in the day, as Heroes’ Week commenced across the Tamil homeland, tribute events were also held on private land opposite the Koppay Thuyilum Illam – or resting place – the term used to describe LTTE cemeteries, where the bodies of thousands of fighters were laid to rest. The original resting place was destroyed by the army and remains under heavy military occupation, with a large Sri Lankan army camp now standing on the site.

Following the symbolic lighting of the flame outside the gated entrance to the occupied Thuyilum Illam, families and community members gathered on adjacent land to continue the ceremony. The mother of two fallen fighters lit the flame, after which wreaths were placed on symbolic gravestones. A nameplate listing the Maaveerar was then unveiled.

The events in Nallur and Koppay form part of a wider series of commemorations taking place across the Tamil homeland this week, as the Tamil nation continues to honour the fallen despite the enduring presence of the Sri Lankan military and the long-standing efforts to erase sites of Tamil remembrance.

Maaveerar Naal – or Great Heroes’ Day – is commemorated annually on November 27th. 

See more photographs below.

Nallur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Koppay