Velanai (Tamil: வேலணை; Sinhala: වේලනෛයි) is a small village in Velanai Island off the coast of Jaffna Peninsula in the North of Sri Lanka. The majority of the people are Hindus along with a minority of Christians. There are number of Hindu temples along with few churches. The village is also served by a dozen schools. Sir Vaithilingam Duraiswamy, a well known member of parliament during the British colonial period, and his son Yogendra Duraiswamy, a Hindu activist and well known diplomat, were born in Velanai.