Thambiluvil Sri Kannaki amman temple
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Thambiluvil Kannaki Amman Kovil ( ta, தம்பிலுவில் கண்ணகி அம்மன் ஆலயம்) is one of the most significant
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
temples in the Ampara District of
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka The Eastern Province ( ta, கிழக்கு மாகாணம் ''Kiḻakku Mākāṇam''; si, නැගෙනහිර පළාත ''Næ̆gĕnahira Paḷāta'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative di ...
. It is situated about 70 km south of
Batticaloa Batticaloa ( ta, மட்டக்களப்பு, ''Maṭṭakkaḷappu''; si, මඩකලපුව, ''Maḍakalapuwa'') is a major city in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, and its former capital. It is the administrative capital of the B ...
town and 11 km south to Akkaraipattu. This is considered as the one of the ancient temples of Mattakkalappu Desam ( Batti -
Ampara Ampara ( si, අම්පාර, ta, அம்பாறை) is the main town of Ampara District, governed by an Urban Council. It is located in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, about east of Colombo and approximately south of Batticaloa. Hi ...
districts nowadays) made for
Kannaki Amman Kannaki Amman ( ta, கண்ணகி அம்மன், IAST: , si, පත්තිනි දෙවියෝ, ml, കണ്ണകി ഭഗവതി ''kaṇṇaki bhagavati'') is the deified form of Kannagi, the heroine of the Tamil epi ...
, the heroine of the great Tamil epic
Silappatikaram ''Cilappatikāram'' ( ta, சிலப்பதிகாரம் ml, ചിലപ്പതികാരം,IPA: ʧiləppət̪ikɑːrəm, ''lit.'' "the Tale of an Anklet"), also referred to as ''Silappathikaram'' or ''Silappatikaram'', is the e ...
.


History

Thambiluvil Thambiluvil ( ta, தம்பிலுவில்) is a coastal village situated in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It is south of Batticaloa, on the east coast of the island. Thambiluvil is known for its preservation of the Tamil culture, ...
and its sister village
Thirukkovil Thirukkovil or Tirukovil is a town in the Ampara District of Sri Lanka, situated along the eastern coast of the island. It is north of Pottuvil and south of Kalmunai. In Tamil the name translates to God's-temple. It was affected by 2004 India ...
are considered as the ancient settlement of
Nāga The Nagas (IAST: ''nāga''; Devanāgarī: नाग) are a divine, or semi-divine, race of half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala), and can occasionally take human or part-human form, or are so depicted in art. ...
tribe thus called as "Nagarmunai". The cult of Kannaki is believed as the continuity of tribal worship of mother goddess of Nagas. The alternative name "Nāga Mangalai" (literally "the Auspicious Nāga") given to Kannaki only in the literary records of Thambiluvil and Pattimedu signifies the same. The temple is believed to have been constructed after the arrival of Pattini cult by Gajabahu I during 113-135 CE. Another myth tells that the idols of three goddesses - Kannaki,
Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...
and Chenbaga Nachi arrived east coast of
Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
through a merchant vessel from
Tamilakam Tamiḻakam (Tamil: தமிழகம்; Malayalam: തമിഴകം), refers to the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil people, covering the southernmost region of the Indian subcontinent. Tamilakam covered today's Tamil Nad ...
and three temples were built for them wherever they stopped. That three locations are identified nowadays as Thambiluvil, Sampur and Eachchilampattu respectively. However, so many historical evidences confirm that Thambiluvil temple was honored by the
Kandyan Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ...
and Kotte kings of Sri Lanka who ruled the island since 14th century CE. The ancient location of this temple is pointed out by the elders as "Urakkai", a paddy field land west to Thambiluvil village. They claimed that once, the idol of goddess was miraculously shown by a golden pigeon at Urakkai and Old temple at Urakkai was shifted to its present many years ago for unknown reasons. An inscription of Vijayabahu VII of Kotte (1507-1521) known as "Thambiluvil Inscription" was found in this temple premises. It claims about the donation of "Vovil" by Vijayabahu to Sivagnāna Sankarar Kovil.
Hugh Nevill Hugh L. Nevill (1847 – 1897) was a British civil servant, best known for his scholarship and studies of the culture of Sri Lanka. Biography Hugh Nevill was born on 19 June 1847, and came to Ceylon, as it was then called, at the age of seventeen ...
(1848 – 1897) concluded that "Sivagnāna Sankarar Kovil" is none other than
Thirukkovil Sithira Velayutha Swami Kovil Thirukkovil Temple (officially Thirukkovil Citra Velayudha Swami Kovil, ta, திருக்கோவில் சித்திரவேலாயுத சுவாமி ஆலயம்) is the most significant Hindu temple in Thirukkovil, ...
and displaced the inscription there.S.Pathmanathan (2013) Ilangai Thamiz Sasānangal (Tamil) pp.430-434 According to this inscription, It may be assumed that an old temple built for Sivagnāna Sangarar (Lord
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
) was replaced by Kannaki Amman from Urakkai after the destruction of that temple by Portuguese in 16th Century CE. "Thambiluvil Mazhai Kāviyam" and "Thambiluvil Amman Pallu", two literary works made on this goddess praise the Kandyan kings Rajasingan(1635-1687) and Narendra Singan (1707-1739) and indicate their religious influences with the Kannaki Amman of this temple.


Annual Festival

Annual Festival of Thambiluvil Kannaki Amman is celebrated on "Vaikāsi" month (May–June) of Tamil calendar along with other Kannaki Temples in Batticaloa region. It is called as "Kathavu Thiraththal" (Door Opening), "Vaikasi Pongal", "Amman Kulirthi" and so on. It is conducted for one week prior to or including full moon of Vaikasi month. The final day of Festival will be always a Monday. Chariot procession of the temple through the village is held on Sixth day of the festival (always on a Sunday night) and the next day is known as "Kulirthi Naal" (literally Cooling Day). Thousands of Devotees cook "
Pongal Pongal may refer to: * Pongal (festival) Pongal (, ), also referred to as Tai Pongal (), is a multi-day Hindu harvest festival celebrated by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka.
" in the temple premises and offer it to the goddess in the midnight "Kulirthi" puja. "Amman Kulirthi Kaaviyam" which describes her angry and sorrow during her lifetime is recited during the puja for requesting her calming down. Then, "Theertham" - The sacred water used to bathe the goddess during the Kulirthi ritual will be sprinkled over the devotees. The festival finishes with distributing offered Pongal to devotees and "Kathavu Adaiththal" (Door Closing of Sanctum).


Kannaki Cult at Thambiluvil

Kannaki Amman Temple is built in non-
Agamic Religion *Āgama (Buddhism), a collection of Early Buddhist texts *Āgama (Hinduism), scriptures of several Hindu sects *Jain literature (Jain Āgamas), various canonical scriptures in Jainism Other uses * ''Agama'' (lizard), a genus of lizards ...
tradition with simple four halls called as "Karuvarai"(Sanctum), "Mun Mandapam", "Nadu Mandapam" and maha Mandapam. Karuvarai and Mun Mandapam are closed always except from the festival season comes during May - June month.
Pillayar Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...
, Vairavar and Nāga Thambirān are seated in separated shrines around the main temple of Kannaki. Pooja rituals are conducted in front of the closed doors of Mun Mandapam every Tuesday and Fridays. The Aspects of Sri Lankan Pattini Cult - Kombu Vilayattu (Horn - play) and Porthengai (Coconut Play) was conducted till 1980s here and ceased due to the war conflict. One of the Priest of This Temple "Kannappan" lived in the time of Rajasinha II sung a verse on Goddess "Amman Mazhai Kaviyam" (மழைக் காவியம் - Raining Poetry) for relieving the country from a terrible draught. The inhabitants of this village still believe that it should be rained whenever this verse is recited with full of devotion during a drought season.


References


External links


About Thambiluvil Amman Kovil (in Tamil) Thambiluvil Kannaki Amman Kummi Song
{{Hindu temples in Sri Lanka Hindu temples in Ampara District Thambiluvil Shakti temples