About Us

Sri Lankans take a pride that the discipline of Hindu Civilization is taught only in Sri Lanka and the University of Jaffna is the pioneer in offering this discipline. When the Jaffna Campus was inaugurated in 1974 the Faculty was first known as the Faculty of Humanities with four and departments and Hindu Civilization being one of them. Department of Sanskrit which was established in 1975 is also one of the departments in the Faculty of Hindu Studies.

Sir Pon Ramanathan the founder of Paramesvara College which was the nucleus of Jaffna Campus in 1974 valued University education more as an instrument of moral and spiritual rejuvenation than as an equipment of worldly end. He pleaded that religion and morality be restored to their rightful place as the basic of University education. Thus the setting up of the Faculty of Hindu studies which definitely fulfill the lofty aspiration of Sir Pon Ramanathan. Department of Hindu Civilization has been striving to become the Centre of Excellence for fostering and promoting teaching and learning of Hindu Civilization both at the Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels.

Since 1998 the Department has been enhancing its academic sphere with the introduction of Hindu Philosophy (Saiva Siddhanta) as a separate discipline both of the General and Special levels for those students admitted by the UGC under the special intake scheme. Further, the Department extends its co-operation to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of this University to conduct the M.A.in Saiva Siddhanta and other Postgraduate Courses. Thus, the Department of Hindu Civilization has a long standing academic experience, especially in teaching research and the dissemination of knowledge, which will contribute immensely to the envisaged new Faculty of Hindu studies at the University of Jaffna. International conferences were conducted by this department in grand scale reflects clear affirmation to the dedication to this field.

The Faculty of Hindu studies is the newly established Faculty of the University of Jaffna under the direction of the Higher Education Minister’s Order of establishment is gazetted on the 18th of March 2019,Gazette No:5/2115 The Faculty comprises three departments Viz: Deprtment of Hindu Civilization, Department of Saiva Siddhanta and Department of Sanskrit.

Faculty of Hindu Studies offers degree programmes in Hindu Civilization, SaivaSiddhanta. and Sanskrit. These Departments offer Postgraduate Programmes leading to Diploma, M.A, M.Phil. and Ph.D, Degrees These three departments offer General degree and Special degree programmes in three study disciplines leading to B.A. Degree, B.A. Honours Degree.