It has nine passages and nine golden kalasas. It has over 2,000 intricately sculpted and painted figures on all four sides. The tower majestically rises to 108 feet and touches the clouds. I assume it is the largest of its kind in Sri Lanka. The Raja Raja Gopuram is the largest of the three gopurams that adorn this temple. A unique feature of this massive kovil is that Nayinaar Swami and Nagapooshani Amman are installed together as if they are one granting darshanam to devotees as Shiva-Shatki (the primeval energies of the cosmos). The garbhagriha has two entrances - the main entrance facing the East, from which the Moolamurtis (consecrated deities) can be viewed and one facing the South, from which the Utsavamurtis (festival deities) can be viewed. Over the garbhagriha is a 10-feet high vimana (tower). The entrance is extensively decorated with paintings, sculptures and oil lamps. The inner wall of the temple together with the outer wall of the central shrine creates a pradakshina (path) around the garbhagriha. The moolasthanam or garbhagriha (central shrine) of Nagapooshani Amman and her consort Nayinaar Swami are in traditional Dravidian Hindu architecture. The eagle agreed with one condition that the merchant should construct a beautiful temple for Sri Bhuvaneswari Amman. He pleaded with the eagle to let the cobra go on its way without any harm. A merchant by the name of Maanikan who was a devotee of Sri Bhuvaneswari Amman, was sailing across the Palk Strait to trade with the ancient Naka Nadu noticed the eagle and the cobra perched upon the two rocks. The eagle stood on another rock (Garudan Kal “the Rock of the Eagle”) some distance away. Fearing harm from the eagle, the cobra wound itself around a rock (referred to in Tamil as Paambu Sutriya Kal) in the sea about half a kilometre from the Nainativu coast. ![]() An eagle (Garuda) spotted the cobra and attempted to attack and kill it. There is an estimated 10,000 sculptures in this newly-renovated temple.Īn oral tradition states that, many centuries ago, a cobra (Nagam) was swimming across the sea towards Nainativu from the nearby Puliyantivu Island with a lotus flower in its mouth, for the worship of Bhuvaneswari Amman. The annual 16-day Mahostavam (Thiruvizha) festival celebrated during the Tamil month of Aani (June/July) attracts over 100,000 pilgrims. The grand kovil attracts around 1,000 visitors a day. It is believed the present structure was built during the 1720–1790 period after the ancient structure was destroyed by the invading Portuguese around 1620. Some refer to this site as Sri Nayinai Amman Kovil. ![]() The holy site is a significant symbol for the Hindu people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, such as Manimekalai and Kundalakesi. This is an imposing tower embellished with intricate statues. The temple complex houses four gopurams (gateway towers) ranging between 20–25 feet in height, to the tallest being the eastern Raja Raja Gopuram soaring at 108 feet high. The kovil’s fame is accredited to Adi Shankaracharya, a ninth-century Hindu philosopher, for identifying it as one of the prominent 64 Shakti Peethas in Shakti Peetha Stotram and its mention in the Brahmanda Purana. It is dedicated to Parvati who is known as Nagapooshani or Bhuvaneswari and her consort, Shiva who is named here as Nayinaar. ![]() The pristine location accentuates the beauty of the sacred Hindu kovil. The origins of the ancient kovil can be traced up to the 16th century.Īfter travelling by sea and landing on the pier, we ventured into this stunning kovil which is peacefully nestled with the blue ocean as one of her borders. It has been visited by people from all Northern islands as well as faithful devotees from across Sri Lanka. Since 1720 the magnificent Nagapooshani Amman Kovil has attracted millions of devotees. However, there is an iconic kovil bursting with vibrant colours on the quaint island of Nainativu. To most visitors, the renowned kovil would be the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil in Jaffna. ![]() The Northern Province of Sri Lanka is embellished with many beautiful Hindu kovils, each with its unique history.
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