Lord Murugan statue taken in procession after 22 years

Sandasen Marasinghe

The statue of Lord Murugan was taken to the Durgai Amman Temple in Thelippalei from the Sri Skantha temple in Mavaddipuram after 22 years, due to the prevailing peaceful situation.

An officer at Security Forces Headquarters Jaffna said that the statue was taken in a majestic procession from the historic Sri Skantha temple to the Durgai Amman temple after 22 years. The religious function coincided with the final day of Navarathri according to the the Hindu calendar.

According to Hindu belief, Lord Murugan or Sri Skantha is the son of Durgai Amman. It was the practice for a long time to take the statue of Lord Murugan to Thelippalai Durgai Amman Kovil to get blessing of the mother (Amman). However, intensified terrorist activities in the area did not permit the Kovil authorities to continue this practice for the last 22 years. The statute was last taken to the Durgei Amman Kovil in 1989. Mavaddipuram area which was within the then High Security Zone was opened to civilians’ use in May 2011.