Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple ( ta, மாவிட்டபுரம் கந்தசாமி கோவில்) is a
Hindu temple
A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hi ...
in
Maviddapuram in northern
Sri Lanka
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 ...
.
History
According to legend Maviddapuram has had a Hindu shrine for 5,000 years.
According to another legend, an 8th-century
Chola
The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century B ...
princess Mathurapuraveeravalli, daughter of Tissai Ughra Cholan, the King of
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
, was inflicted with a persistent intestinal disorder as well as facial disfigurement which made her face look like a horse.
She was advised by a priest/sage to bathe in the freshwater spring at
Keerimalai
Keerimalai ( ta, கீரிமலை kīrimalai) is a town in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka. Naguleswaram temple is located in this suburb also a mineral water spring called Keerimalai Springs reputed for its curative properties. In Tamil Keer ...
.
After bathing in the spring Mathurapuraveeravalli's illness and disfigurement vanished.
In gratitude she renovated a Hindu shrine, located in Kovil Kadavai about two kilometers south east of the spring, into a full temple honouring the Hindu god
Murugan
Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Gan ...
(Skanda).
The King of Madurai sent sculptors, artists, building material, granite, statues, gold, silver etc. to assist with the renovation.
The temple's statue of Kankesan (Murugan) was brought via the port of Gayathurai which was later renamed
Kankesanthurai
Kankesanthurai (, , lit. ''Port Kankesan''), colloquially known as KKS, is a port suburb, fishing division and resort hub of the Jaffna District, Northern Province, Sri Lanka. Formerly an electoral district, Kankesanthurai is home to the Kankesa ...
.
The name Maviddapuram is derived from ''ma'' (horse), ''vidda'' (removed) and ''puram'' (holy city).
The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times.
The present day temple dates from the 17th century.
Only "high" caste Hindus had been allowed to worship in the temple. In 1968 several hundred "low" caste Hindus, mainly
Pallar
The Pallar, who prefer to be called Mallar, are an agricultural community from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Pallars traditionally inhabited the fertile wetland area referred to as ''Marutham'' in the literary devices of the Sangam lands ...
and
Nalavar
Nalavar () is a Tamil caste found in Sri Lanka. They were traditionally occupied in palm tree climbing and toddy tapping.
Etymology
According to a folk etymology is the name Nalavar a corrupted form of ''Naluvinavar'' (those who decamped), wh ...
, staged a non-violent protest outside the temple gates but were met with violence from a group of "high" caste Hindus. In June 1968 "low" caste Hindus stormed the temple. They were given access to the temple following the intervention of
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK, Federal Party).
, who had led the "high" caste resistance to opening the temple up to the "low" castes, was prosecuted under the
Prevention of Social Disabilities Act and fined
Rs. 50 by the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
.
This act, which had been brought in as a
private member's bill
A private member's bill is a bill (proposed law) introduced into a legislature by a legislator who is not acting on behalf of the executive branch. The designation "private member's bill" is used in most Westminster system jurisdictions, in wh ...
by ITAK in 1957, made the denial of entry into a place of worship on grounds of caste an offence.
During the early 1990s the northern part of the
Valikamam
Valikamam ( ta, வலிகாமம் valikāmam, si, වැලිගම) is one of the three historic regions of Jaffna peninsula in northern Sri Lanka. The other two regions are Thenmarachchi and Vadamarachchi. Alternative spellings include ...
region were declared a High Security Zone (HSZ) and all the residents expelled. The temple was inside the HSZ and as a result its priests were evicted by the military.
The temple's structure was bombed and its contents looted.
Following the end of the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...
the military relaxed some restrictions on entering the HSZ, allowing priests and worshipers to return to the temple.
The temple's 108 foot
gopuram
A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the South ...
has been re-built but much of the 17th century temple was destroyed during the civil war.
The temple was declared an
archaeological protected monument in December 2011.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Northern Province, Sri Lanka topics
Hindu temples in Jaffna District
Murugan temples in Sri Lanka
Archaeological protected monuments in Jaffna District
Chola architecture