On the Point Pedro Road just beyond Nallur's great temple stands a weathered brick archway that Jaffna remembers as the gateway to its kings. Tradition names it Sangiliyan Thoppu and ties it to the palace of Cankili, the kingdom's defiant last ruler — and it does stand amid ground long identified with the royal palace precinct.
Historians urge a little caution: the arch's lime-plastered style is closer to Dutch colonial work, and some scholars attribute it to Poothathamby Mudaliyar, an administrator of the Dutch era — which is why locals also call it Poothathamby Walaivu. Whatever its true age, the monument was declared protected in 2007 and carefully reassembled from its fallen fragments in 2023, piece by original piece.
Good to know
- About 950 m from Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, on the Jaffna–Point Pedro Road
- Usually visited together with Manthiri Manai, Yamuna Eri and the Sangiliyan statue
- Best light at golden hour, when the lime-plastered brick glows
- Free to view from the road and grounds