HINDUISM
A glorious religious observance
Nallur Kanthaswamy Kovil:
Sinnathamby Rasiah
The annual festival of historic Nallur Kanthaswamy temple commenced
yesterday (August 15) and will continue for twenty five days, with all
its splendour.
Since then, the attention of the people is focused on this event and
the whole village participate in the preparation for the festivities.
Residents of the area decorate their homes and streets with mango
leaves, coconut strips, flowers and plantain trees.
Crowds thronged at the Nallur Kovil on the opening day of
the festival on August 15, 2010. Picture Courtesy The Hindu,
Chennai |
Kolam designs associated with the deity of God Skanda are
artificially sketched in front of the house. Mostly kumbams are kept
outside the homes. In the neighborhood of the temple, pandals are
erected to accommodate devotees who come from far off places. As
normalcy is prevailing in the country more expatriates are expected to
participate in the festival. What God Kataragama is for the southerners,
Nallur Kanthaswamy Kovil is for the northerners.
Nallur and Kataragama are two of the few temples in the country,
where people participate irrespective of their faith. Besides, Nallur
temple is famous for the meticulous manner in which poojas are performed
at the stipulated times.
Inauguration of Festival
The annual festival of Nallur of Lord Skanda commenced with the
auspicious flag hoisting ceremony yesterday at 10 a.m. Amid ringing
bells, Confetti of flowers and mantras recited by Brahmin priests clad
in red. Among the twenty five festivals that take place, the most
spectacular ones are the 10th festival called Manjam cart festival, 20th
one is called Kailayavahanam. The three deities namely Lord Skanda
escorted by two consorts Theivayanai and Valli ascent the Kailayavahanam
which depicts the ten headed Ravana lifting mount Kailash.
The other important festival is Sapparam on the 23d day.
The festival reaches its climax with the Ther or chariot on which the
majestic Lord Skanda along with his elegant consorts, draped in vibrant
green ascends and it is drawn by devotees round the outer countryard of
the temple. Many devotees carry, kavadi, which is beautifully arch
shaped and studded with peacock feathers and the devotees dance to the
rhythum of the music. The kavadi, carries two small milk pots to be
offered in the worship.
Mayuri Amman in Havelock Town where the festival is now on. |
The Paravai kavadi which is fitted to carrier and very ardent
devotees piers their back with small spears and hooks and horizontally
hangs on it, as the carrier moves forward. It is an act of penance and
also a way of fulfilling their vows.
Historical Account
In fact the history of Nallur Kandaswamy temple is intertwined with
the history of (yaalpaanam) Jaffna.
It is no exaggeration to say that the rise and fall of the temple was
subject to the change of rulers. Shanmuga priya, in her book in Nallur
Kandaswamy – a spiritual experience says as follows,” historians assert
that there is historical evidence to assume that the temple was built in
A.D. 1248 in Kurukkal Valavu in Nallur. The present temple is situated
in the same location. They further state that the temple must have been
built by Buvanekabahu, the minister to king Arya Chakravarthi.”
With the passage of time Parakramabahu VI who ruled the souh from
Kotte had an eye on the Jaffna kingdom.
He dispatched a huge army under his adopted son and general
Sempakapperumal Kumaraya who captured Jaffna and in the course of the
invasion Nallur Kandaswamy temple was razed to the ground.
Selva Sannithy Temple in the North. The festival in now on. |
Later on he tried to appease the offended people and built the second
Kandaswamy temple around 1467 in an adjacent place.
Meanwhile in the book - Hindu temples of Sri Lanka, Prof S.
Pathmanathan states that the temple built by Buvanekabahu continued to
flourish even after he had lost authority over Jaffna and the Tamil
kings who were restored to power by this time extended royal support to
the temple.
Henceforth the glory of the temple began to wane with the arrival of
foreign powers – first the Portuguese, then the Dutch and the British.
In 1620, the Portuguese invaded Jaffna and the Nallur temple was
completely destroyed.
Thereafter according to C. S. Navaratnam in a Short History of
Hinduism in Ceylon, for nearly 170 years there was no temple for the
Tamils to worship in that locality. In 1658 the Dutch captured Jaffna
from the Portuguese.
Unlike the Portuguese the Dutch became liberal in later years. The
Hindus around Nallur made use of this opportunity and constructed a
small Madalaya style in the same location as the second Nallur temple
without a Gopuram. A vale was consecrated and worshiped.
In 1734 Ragunatha Mappana Mudaliyar was able to get the permission
from the Dutch rulers and built the Nallur Kandaswamy temple in its
original place in Kurukkal Valavu - Since then the temple was developed
and today it outshines it past glory.
Nallur in festive mood
Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar
With the hoisting of the flag yesterday (Aug 15) the much anticipated
annual festival of the Nallur Kanthasamy temple has begun. Until
September 07, a religious and festive mood will reign in the North of
Lanka.
The temple in Nallur is ancient and is of historical importance. The
Chariot festival will be held on the last day of the 23-day festival.
In view of the large crowd of devotees at the festival the management
of the temple, the government agent and the mayor have made elaborate
arrangements to facilitate the convenience of devotees.
Devotees from all over Sri Lanka are participating at the festival to
receive the Divine Blessings of Lord Murukan.
In fact, the people of Jaffna are extremely happy particularly after
the end of war which prevailed for the last three decades and the
maintenance of peace which everyone was looking for.
Further, the people are enjoying normal life after a lapse of several
years.
The people move about freely and attend to their household affairs.
The people in the surrounding areas of the temple have erected temporary
sheds in view of this festival.
Even the Mayor of Jaffna Municipal Council has laid down certain
rules and regulating how the devotees should conduct themselves during
the temple festival and also how the devotees should enter the temple
precincts wearing nesty avoiding trousers and shirts.
All are expected to maintain Hindu traditions and agamic principles
which are of paramount importance.
Nallur was the celebrated capital city of Ancient Jaffna. The
chronicle of Jaffna history the “Yalpana Vaibava Malai describes in
detail how the city of Nallur was founded. It mentions how “Singai
Ariyan” arrived at the request of “Pandi Maluvam” accompanied by priests
and advisers and assumed the kingship of Jaffna. He built a city for his
residence and named it Nallur.
Thus was founded the celebrated city of Nallur by Singai Ariyan, also
referred to as “Kulankai”, who commenced his reign as the first Ariya
Chakravarty King of Jaffna.
The Singai Ariya dynasty continued to rule as Ariya Chakaravarty
kings of Jaffna, assuming alternately the state titles of
Pararajasekaram and Sagarajasekaram. They safeguarded the Hindu temples
building more in the kingdom and maintaining those already erected. They
up held the Hindu tradition.
The Jaffna chronicle also records that during the reign of Singai
Ariyan, Minister Bhuvaneka Bahu completed the erection of the outside
walls of the city and the Kandaswamy kovil. That a Kandaswamy temple got
erected within the city of Nallur, during the reign of Singai Ariyan
thus explicitly recorded and the credit for this Thiruppany” work goes
to the king’s Minister Bhuvenaka Bahu. The time would have been soon
after the year 1284 A.D.
Furthermore, the Portuguese who invaded Jaffna with their forces
demolished this temple to the ground level in the year 1621.
Subsequently the Dutch who found a Catholic Church there, demolished it
and erected a church of their faith which is the Nallur Church in close
proximity to the “Yamuneri Theertham”.
After the rule of dutch in the year B.C. 1658, this temple came under
the management to the Hindus. In 1734, this temple was rebuilt.
The present Nallur Kandaswamy temple was originated in the year 1749
by “Ragunatha Mappana Mudaliyar.
The origin of Murukan and the story of his veneration are of very
ancient interest. The story is fundamental in the history of development
of Tamil Culture. He become identified as Kumaran: Even the pre-Aryan
pre-historic eras are known to have revered a rudimentary form of
Murukan, a youth of valorous deeds who was victorious in war.
The Devas, when they proceeded to Moun Kailas to complain to Lord
Siva of their persecution by the Asuras, found him in deep meditation.
On being awakened, a Divine spark emanated from his frontal third eye.
This was received in Lake “Saravanai Poika”. There it was nurtured by
six “Karthikai” young girls and they became six infants and were
embraced by Divine mother Goddess Parvathy.
Lord Muruka as a valorous youth is said to have performed several
brave deeds including the imprisonment of Brahma and imparting the
meaning of the sacred word Aum to Lord Shiva.
Further, when the Devar were imprisoned by Asuras Lord Muruka sent
his Army Commander “Virapahu” and when Surapadman refused to lay down
his arms and release the Devas, Lord Muruka fought with Surapadman and
defeated him, but was not slain but accepted to serve Lord Muruka as his
stud in the form of a peacock and also given a place in his banner as a
rooster cock. The Devas were released and they celebrated the victory.
Indira the king of the Devas and Indrani his Queen rewarded Murukan
by giving him their daughter “Deiva Yanai” or “Deivanai” in marriage.
The grand nuptial celebrations are claimed to have taken place at
“Thiru Perum Kanram” situated in Madurai, Muruka’s second consort is
Valli, the Veddah maid from the Vallimalai hills.
Furthermore, the vale in his hand denotes knowledge. According to
this a man’s knowledge should be sharp, it should not only be sharp, but
it should be evidenced and be deep.
In a philosophical interpretation the two consorts of Lord Muruka are
considered to represent “Kiriya” Sakthi and “Ichcha”. Sakthi and Muruka
represents “Gnana” Sakthi.
During the Nallur Ther or Chariot festival the statue of God
Kandaswamy is decorated and illuminated and paraded along the streets in
a chariot followed by poojas, Bhajan and Archana offered by devotees.
The large and heavy chariot is pulled by a rope by thousands of
devotees where the rich and the poor grand shoulder to shoulder in
pulling the body politics of the Divine State, giving the Lord a chance
to witness the peaceful progress that the community has made, Clustering
around the temple where the God resides.
Even Sri Lanka Sri Arumuga Navalar, who started the Saivism Revival
movement launched it from Nallur temple.
Further, Kadaiyit Swamigal Chellappaswamigal and Yogar Swamigal
attained enlightenment at the Nallur Kandaswamy Temple.
In fact, to a society lost in error and beset by illusions of time
and weighed down by perplexities trials and tribulations, conflicts and
contradictions, the Divine power of God Muruka will protect us from all
evil tendencies and make us to lead a peaceful and harmonious life.
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A special Hindu religious program titled
‘Pithur Dharpanam’ took place under the patronage of Sivashri
Bala Ravishanuarak Kurukkal at the Modera estuary Colombo on
August 9, 2010. The event was organized by the Hindu Mantram,
Crow Island, Mattakkuliya. A large number of devotees
participated. Picture: A. Maduraveeran |
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The annual festival of the Iyyappa Swamy
Kovil, Aluthmawatte, Modera, Colombo 15, was held on July 1,
2010. Here the Swamigal is being taken in procession by the
devotees around the streets. Pic: A. Maduraveeran |
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Nawalapitiya Kathiresan temple festival |
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