Ramanathan Academy of Fine Arts

The Ramanathan Academy of Fine Arts (RAFA) was founded as a tribute to Sir P. Ramanathan. by his son-in-law, S. Natesan^[1][2] The academy was located at Maruthanarmadam near Chunnakam and its purpose was to promote the education of Tamil classical music and Bharata Natyam.^[1][2]

RAFA was taken over by the University of Sri Lanka in December 1975 and placed under the Jaffna Campus' Faculty of Arts.^[1][2] RAFA was part of the faculty's Department of Fine Arts. The Jaffna Campus was elevated to university status on 1 January 1979 with the creation of the University of Jaffna.^[1] In 1992 RAFA was separated from the Department of Fine Arts.^[1] RAFA has two departments - Dance and Music - and an Art and Design Unit.^[3] Initially functioning as a unit within the Department of Fine Arts, the RAFA eventually evolved and gained status as a distinct department of study within the Faculty of Arts in 1992.^[4]

• Official website