Naguleswaram Temple,
Keerimalai – History
Construction:
Naguleswaram temple of
Kankesanthurai was restored during the reign of Prince
Vijaya of Vanga (543-505 BCE). One of the oldest
shrines of the region, it is the northernmost shrine on the island of the Pancha
Ishwarams of Lord Siva, venerated
by Hindus across the world from classical antiquity. Its adjacent water
tank, the Keerimalai Springs attribution to curative properties has
been related in irrigation scientific studies to its high mineral content,
sourced from underground.
Pandyan-Cholan princess Maruthapura
Veeravalli built the Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple two miles from
Naguleswaram in 785 CE after she was cured of her facial disfigurement at the
Keerimalai springs, and later married the King Ukkira
Singhan, a scion of Vijaya's dynasty, at the temple's
springs. Eliandurvan, one of the
four brothers of the Mukkuvar king Vedi Arasan ruled at
Keerimalai.
Literary Mention:
Dakshina Kailasa Puranam,
a Sanskrit treatise on another Pancha Ishwarams, Koneswaram of Trincomalee,
recalls events in the Naguleswaram shrine. The Suta Samhita of
the Skanda Puranam written during 6th
Century CE mentions Naguleswaram as among ancient sites of pilgrimage. Saint Arunagirinathar of Tamil Nadu had sung his 15th
Century Thirupugazh Hymns on Lord Murugan of this Temple. Arab navigators
spread the wonders of the temple's springs to the West, and James Emerson Tennent, citing Lane's Arabian
Nights elaborates on Keerimalai as the site of the shipwreck
of Sinbad the Sailor during his sixth
voyage, where he collected pearls, hyacinth and
ambergris. Arjuna of
the Mahabharata fell
in love with the Nagakanya (daughter of the Naga king) Ulupi, who bore
them a son, Iravan.
Destruction by the Portuguese:
The temple was largely destroyed
by Jesuit missionaries following the Portuguese conquest of the
Jaffna kingdom. Following destruction by the Portuguese in
1621, Naguleswaram's Brahmin priests hid the main icons in a well before
fleeing, which were since recovered.
Reconstruction:
After a gap of almost 400 years
in 1894 ACE, local Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu people of
under the urging of Hindu reformer Arumuga
Navalar came together and built the present temple. However,
the temple was destroyed by fire in 1918 and had to be rebuilt.
Occupation and Bombing by Sri Lankan Army:
In 1983, the temple was occupied
by the Sri
Lankan army and devotees and priests were unable to visit the
premises without special permits. At 16:00 on 16 October 1990, the Sri Lankan Air Force dropped three
bombs at Naguleswaram. The first fell on the front of the temple destroying two
temple chariots and other buildings, the second bomb fell on the southern
courtyard of the temple destroying the premises of the priest. Two days later,
on 18 October at 14:30, the Sri Lankan Air Force returned and bombed the temple
during the Kedara Gowri fast when thousands of devotees were present, killing
180 Tamil civilians, including 5 infants.
Temple buildings, its ancient
gopuram, the library housing palm leaf manuscripts and statues incurred
substantial damage. The bombing was carried out despite the presence of temple
identification flags at four corners of the temple, as instructed by the International Committee of
the Red Cross. No access to the area was granted to devotees until
1997, when the Chief Priest was allowed to visit with an Additional GA of the
Sri Lankan government. The temple was found to be ruins with the sacred icons vandalized or
missing. The temple was not restored.
Mahakumbhabhishekam in 2012:
On Monday 6 February 2012, a
major reconstruction of the temple was completed under the authority of the
chief priest, Sivasri Naguleswara Kurukkal, and Naguleswaram's Mahakumbhabhishekam
took place. It was a monumental event with thousands of devotees who came to
pray and receive blessings.
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