History of Malaiyaga Tamils

An exhibition was held at the Public Library today on the history and arrival of the Malaiyaga Tamils (Up-country). Many Malaiyaha Tamils undertook a pilgrimage from Thalaimannar to Matale, retracing the difficult journey their ancestors had taken when they first arrived in Sri Lanka 200 years ago, when the British looked to South India to source workers for the thriving coffee plantations in Sri Lanka. Over the years, thousands of workers were shipped from India to Sri Lanka. They landed in Mannar and were made to trek on foot to Matale. The groups had to brave jungles, life-threatening diseases and wild animals, often resulting in numerous deaths. Pix by Nisal Baduge