Chavakachcheri is a large town in the Jaffna peninsula of Jaffna District, Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It may have Javanese origins, as the name "Chaavaka+cheari" literally means Javanese settlement. The town may date back to the Southeast Asian occupation of Yalpanam, where certain settlements and forts were established by Chandrabhanu to maintain hegemony over the overseas colony. The town is governed by an Urban Council. Chavakachcheri has been badly devastated in the Sri Lankan Civil War. Today, the government and the people of Chavakachcheri have rebuilt the town, but the population remains drastically lower than the pre-war years.