Valikamam
title: "Valikamam" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["valikamam", "geography-of-jaffna-district"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valikamam" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Valikamam |
| native_name | வலிகாமம் |
| වලිකාමම් | |
| settlement_type | Region |
| pushpin_map | Sri Lanka |
| pushpin_relief | 1 |
| coordinates | |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Sri Lanka |
| subdivision_type1 | Province |
| subdivision_name1 | Northern |
| subdivision_type2 | District |
| subdivision_name2 | Jaffna |
| seat_type | Largest city |
| seat | Jaffna |
| parts_type | Divisional Secretariats |
| parts_style | coll |
| p1 | Jaffna |
| p2 | Nallur |
| p3 | Valikamam East |
| p4 | Valikamam North |
| p5 | Valikamam South |
| p6 | Valikamam South West |
| p7 | Valikamam West |
| unit_pref | Metric |
| area_total_km2 | 344.2 |
| population_total | 358,991 |
| population_as_of | 2007 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| timezone1 | Sri Lanka |
| utc_offset1 | +05:30 |
| :: |
| name = Valikamam | native_name = வலிகாமம் වලිකාමම් | native_name_lang = | other_name = | settlement_type = Region | pushpin_map = Sri Lanka | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_label = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_map_caption = | coordinates = | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Sri Lanka | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Northern | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Jaffna | seat_type = Largest city | seat = Jaffna | parts_type = Divisional Secretariats | parts_style = coll | p1 = Jaffna | p2 = Nallur | p3 = Valikamam East | p4 = Valikamam North | p5 = Valikamam South | p6 = Valikamam South West | p7 = Valikamam West | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 344.2 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_rank = | area_note = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | population_footnotes = | population_total = 358,991 | population_rank = | population_as_of = 2007 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = | population_note = | timezone1 = Sri Lanka | utc_offset1 = +05:30 Valikamam (; ) is one of the three historic regions of Jaffna peninsula in northern Sri Lanka. The other two regions are Thenmarachchi and Vadamarachchi. Alternative spellings include Valikaamam or Valigamam.
Etymology
The name Valikamam () translates to "the sandy village", whereas denotes the geographical marker.
It is derived from the words:
The word is no longer in common use but was historically found in Eezham Tamil place names. It shares linguistic roots with , , and . The word has been found in early Tamil inscriptions, including an 11th-century record at Velgam Vihara, Trincomalee, and a 12th-century Chola inscription at Thiruvalangadu, where Valikamam is explicitly mentioned as a village.
The name Valikamam is also linguistically equivalent to Manaltidar or Manarridal, the ancient Tamil names for Jaffna, which carry the same meaning of "sandy land."
According to the 16th-century Tamil literary work Santiago Kumara Ammanai, Valikamam was historically referred to
The village Mallakam (), located in Valikamam North, derives its name from: - – a personal title associated with royalty or warriors, originating from the Sanskrit , meaning wrestler or great person. This term was commonly used by Pallava rulers and medieval Sri Lankan kings, such as Nissanka Malla (12th century).
Geography
Administrative Divisions
Valikamam is currently divided into 6 Divisional Secretariats, each of which is further subdivided into 190 Grama Niladhari (GN) divisions. Every Divisional Secretariat has its own Divisional Council, which is elected every four years through local government elections.
::data[format=table title="'''Administrative Divisions'''"]
References
References
- Indrapala, Karthigesu. (2006). "The Evolution of an Ethnic Identity". South Asian Studies Centre.
- Fabricius, J. P.. (1972). "J. P. Fabricius's Tamil and English dictionary. 4th ed., rev.and enl".
- Ragupathy, Ponnampalam. (1987). "Early Settlements in Jaffna: An Archaeological Survey". Thillimalar.
- CDIAL. (2006). "Comparative Dictionary of Indo-Aryan Languages". Royal Asiatic Society.
- "Administrative Structure - Jaffna DS". Jaffna Divisional Secretariat.
- "Administrative Structure - Nallur DS". Nallur Divisional Secretariat.
- "Administrative Structure - Valikamam East DS". Valikamam East Divisional Secretariat.
- "Administrative Structure - Valikamam North DS". Valikamam North Divisional Secretariat.
- "Administrative Structure - Valikamam South DS". Valikamam South Divisional Secretariat.
- "Administrative Structure - Valikamam South West DS". Valikamam South West Divisional Secretariat.
- "Administrative Structure - Valikamam West DS". Valikamam West Divisional Secretariat.
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