Modi lays foundation stone of Jaffna cultural centre

He also met Northern Province's Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, according to a tweet by Indian external affairs ministry spokesman, Syed Akbaruddin.

"PM @narendramodi meets with Northern Province CM Wigneswaran in Jaffna Public Library," the spokesman tweeted.

Modi is the first Indian prime minister and only the second foreign leader after British Prime Minister David Cameron to visit Jaffna in the war-ravaged northern province.

Earlier in the day, Modi arrived in North Central Province's capital city of Anuradhapura where he along with Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena offered prayers at the Mahabodhi tree.

"PM @narendramodi offering prayers," PMO India tweeted with a picture and a video footage.

After his Anuradhapura visit, Modi flagged off a train service in the town of Talaimannar, which opened the Talaimannar-Medawachchiya sector of the train service to Colombo, following the rehabilitation work carried out with Indian credit assistance.

Accompanied by Sirisena, he unveiled a plaque inaugurating Talaimannar 1650 Pier Railway station.

Modi's visit to Sri Lanka is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister in 27 years after the 1987 visit by then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Sri Lanka is the third and final leg of his three-nation visit.

Modi arrived in Colombo on Friday and was received by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at the airport and later he was accorded a ceremonial welcome by Sirisena.