Swami Vivekananda, visited Sri Lanka in January 1897 soon after his successful journey to the West. Swami Vivekananda travelled through the island for 10 days between January 15 and January 25, 1897.

After delivering a brief speech on 19 January; Vivekananda set out for a long, arduous journey to Jaffna by a stagecoach as there was no railway line linking Kandy and Jaffna in those days. It was during this 200-mile journey that after nearly 50 miles, the coach broke down near Dambulla, known for its famous cave temple complex. This forced him to take a bullock-cart to reach Anuradhapuram, the ancient capital of Sri Lanka.

Then, after a journey of two nights, Vivekananda reached Vavuniya, in the northern part of Sri Lanka. On January 24, 1897, the Swami crossed the Elephant Pass to step into Jaffna Peninsula. He was received by a delegation 12 miles outside the city, and brought in a triumphant procession.

But the real event was in the evening. A torchlight procession, accompanied by Carnatic music and attended by an estimated 15,000 people, began. On the way, Swami worshipped at Siva and Kathirasan temples. After the procession, his carriage reached the Jaffna Hindu College, where a huge crowd awaited him. Vivekananda delivered his keynote address on ‘Vedantism’. After delivering an enlightened lecture, Vivekananda sailed from Jaffna by steamship by the midnight. After a journey of 50 miles on Palk Strait, he arrived at Pamban, on January 26.