# Ponnalai GN division, Valikamam West (Chankanai) DS Division > Source: https://wherepedia.org/sri-lanka/northern/jaffna/valikamam-west-chankanai/ponnalai/ Grama Niladhari division · Valikamam West (Chankanai) DS Division # Ponnalai Ponnalai is a Grama Niladhari (GN) division of Sri Lanka in Valikamam West (Chankanai) DS Division, Jaffna District, Northern Province. It covers **5.52 km²**. 4 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 2 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools. - 5.5km² - 2mapped services - 10 mtypical elevation ## Where is Ponnalai? Ponnalai lies in [Valikamam West (Chankanai) DS Division](https://wherepedia.org/sri-lanka/northern/jaffna/valikamam-west-chankanai/), [Jaffna District](https://wherepedia.org/sri-lanka/northern/jaffna/), [Northern Province](https://wherepedia.org/sri-lanka/northern/), [Sri Lanka](https://wherepedia.org/sri-lanka/). It borders 5 other GN divisions: [Chulipuram West](https://wherepedia.org/sri-lanka/northern/jaffna/valikamam-west-chankanai/chulipuram-west/), [Karainagar East](https://wherepedia.org/sri-lanka/northern/jaffna/karainagar/karainagar-east/), [Karainagar North East](https://wherepedia.org/sri-lanka/northern/jaffna/karainagar/karainagar-north-east/), [Moolai](https://wherepedia.org/sri-lanka/northern/jaffna/valikamam-west-chankanai/moolai/) and [Tholpuram West](https://wherepedia.org/sri-lanka/northern/jaffna/valikamam-west-chankanai/tholpuram-west/). By area it is the 2610th largest of 13,978 GN divisions in Sri Lanka. It covers 11.3% of [Valikamam West (Chankanai) DS Division](https://wherepedia.org/sri-lanka/northern/jaffna/valikamam-west-chankanai/). The centre of Ponnalai is about 314 km in a straight line from Colombo, the commercial capital. The centre point is at 9.7561° N, 79.9192° E. Local names: පොන්නාලෙයි . Source: [Survey Department of Sri Lanka via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO)](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ab-lka). ## Things to see in and around Ponnalai ### Nearby, outside Ponnalai - Casuarina Beach · viewpoint, Karainagar North3.7 km - Fort Hammenhiel கடல் கோட்டை · castle or fort, Karainagar South West9.2 km - St. Don Bosco Statue · memorial, Mullanai9.3 km - Gen. Kobbekaduwa Memorial, Arali. · memorial, Velanai North9.4 km - Kayts Fort · attraction, Paruthiyadaippu9.6 km - Kīrimalai Sacred Water Springs · hot spring, Naguleswaram12 km - St.Mary's Community Centre Gym Club · theme park, Navanthurai North12 km - Water tank · attraction, Chunnakam Town South14 km - Jaffna Fort · ruins, Fort14 km - Thanthai Selva · memorial, Fort15 km - Jaffna scout group 2016 · monument, Fort15 km - Barathiyar's Statue · memorial, Kantharmadam South East15 km Source: [© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright). Named attractions, museums, viewpoints, historic sites and natural features mapped in OpenStreetMap. Places of worship are not listed. ## Know before you go: Ponnalai - Time zoneUTC+5:30, no daylight saving · Asia/Colombo - CurrencyRupee (LKR) - Country calling code+94 - LanguagesSinhala, Tamil, English - Plug typesType D, G · 230 V - Driving sideLeft - Postcode format5 digits (#####) ### Nearest airports - Jaffna International Airport (JAF) · Jaffna17 km - Tiruchirappalli International Airport (TRZ) · Tiruchirappalli173 km ### Nearest railway station Mallakam (Erlalai West), about 12 km from the centre. ### Daylight Days are longest in Jun (about 12.7 hours, sunrise around 05:49) and shortest in Dec (about 11.6 hours, sunrise around 06:18, sunset around 17:52). Source: [GeoNames country and time-zone files (CC BY 4.0)](https://www.geonames.org/); [Wikidata (CC0) — plug types, mains voltage, driving side; retrieved 2026-11-02](https://www.wikidata.org/); [OurAirports (public domain)](https://ourairports.com/data/). Airports with scheduled passenger flights; straight-line distances. Daylight is calculated for the 15th of each month in local standard time. Check entry and visa rules with official government sources before travelling. ## Villages and localities in Ponnalai Open gazetteers list **4 villages, towns and localities** in Ponnalai. - Nelliyaan - Nelliyan - Ponnalai - Punnalai Source: [GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features](https://www.geonames.org/); [© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright). ## Landscape and landmarks of Ponnalai Named natural and historic features inside Ponnalai, from the GeoNames gazetteer. ### Water 1 reservoir or tank. - Punnalai Kulam ### Coast and islands 1 island. - Thuruthupiddi Source: [GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features](https://www.geonames.org/). Places of worship are not listed. Elevations are from the GeoNames terrain model and are approximate. ## Weather in Ponnalai and the best time to visit Using the climate of Jaffna District, the warmest month is Apr (average 30 °C) and the coolest is Jan (26 °C). About 1,144 mm of rain falls in a year; the wettest month is Nov (293 mm) and the driest Jun (21 mm). The most comfortable months for a visit are **January to February**. - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec Month Average °C Rain mm Jan 26 45 Feb 27 33 Mar 28 39 Apr 30 75 May 30 78 Jun 29 21 Jul 29 24 Aug 29 50 Sep 28 73 Oct 28 210 Nov 27 293 Dec 26 202 Source: [NASA POWER climatology, retrieved 2026-10-29](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/). ## Nearest hospital, bank and fuel from Ponnalai Need Nearest mapped Distance Hospital Cooperative Hospital Association · Moolai 1.5 km [Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=9.74815&mlon=79.93015#map=17/9.74815/79.93015) Bank Sampath Bank · Chankanai South 5.8 km [Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=9.74743&mlon=79.97168#map=17/9.74743/79.97168) ATM BOC · Grand Bazaar 14 km [Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=9.66601&mlon=80.01294#map=17/9.66601/80.01294) Petrol pump Lanka IOC · Karainagar East 3.7 km [Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=9.73958&mlon=79.88952#map=17/9.73958/79.88952) Hotel Senthuan · Tholpuram West 2.0 km [Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=9.75234&mlon=79.93734#map=17/9.75234/79.93734) Mall Nirosh Multicomplex · Mallakam Centre 12 km [Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=9.76320&mlon=80.03070#map=17/9.76320/80.03070) School J/Ponnalai Varatharaja Perumal Vidiyasalai · Ponnalai 0.3 km [Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=9.75411&mlon=79.92043#map=17/9.75411/79.92043) College Jaffna Vaddukoddai Hindu College · Vadducoddai East 4.3 km [Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=9.74743&mlon=79.95747#map=17/9.74743/79.95747) Police station Vaddukoddai Pollice Station · Vadducoddai South West 4.4 km [Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=9.72844&mlon=79.94774#map=17/9.72844/79.94774) Source: [Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)](https://overturemaps.org/). Straight-line distance from the centre of the division, within 40 km. ## Hospitals, banks and other services in Ponnalai Places mapped inside Ponnalai in open map data, by type. - Schools2 Source: [Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)](https://overturemaps.org/). Coverage depends on what has been mapped; contact details are not shown. ## Other GN divisions in Valikamam West (Chankanai) DS Division - Arali Centre - Arali East - Arali North - Arali South - Arali West - Chankanai Centre - Chankanai East - Chankanai South - Chankanai West - Chulipuram Centre - Chulipuram East - Chulipuram West - Moolai - Panippulam - Pannagam - Sangarathai - Siththankerni - Tholpuram East - Tholpuram West - Vadducoddai East - Vadducoddai North - Vadducoddai South - Vadducoddai South West - Vadducoddai West ## Quick answers - Where is Ponnalai?In Valikamam West (Chankanai) DS Division, Jaffna District, Northern Province, Sri Lanka - What borders Ponnalai?Chulipuram West, Karainagar East, Karainagar North East, Moolai and Tholpuram West - What is there to see in Ponnalai?Casuarina Beach, Fort Hammenhiel கடல் கோட்டை, St. Don Bosco Statue, Gen. Kobbekaduwa Memorial, Arali. - What time zone is Ponnalai in?UTC+5:30 - What currency is used in Ponnalai?Rupee (LKR) - What language is spoken in Ponnalai?Sinhala, Tamil, English (main languages nationally) - How many villages are in Ponnalai?4 named settlements (GeoNames, OpenStreetMap) - How many reservoirs and tanks are in Ponnalai?1 named in GeoNames - What is the best time to visit Ponnalai?January to February - Where is the nearest hospital to Ponnalai?Cooperative Hospital Association, about 1.5 km from the centre - Where is the nearest bank to Ponnalai?Sampath Bank, about 5.8 km from the centre - Where is the nearest ATM to Ponnalai?BOC, about 14 km from the centre - Where is the nearest petrol pump to Ponnalai?Lanka IOC, about 3.7 km from the centre - What is the P-code of Ponnalai?LK4106070 (OCHA common operational dataset)