Hinduism

Miraculous deity ‘Naga Thambiran’ in Vadamarachchy

The annual festival of the ancient and historical “Nagarkovil Nagathambiran” which is dedicated to the worship of “Cobra or Serpant” has been revived after a period of ten years.

This temple is situated in the Eastern part of Vadamarachchy in the Northern Peninsula and has been declared as the high security zone due to the civil disturbances prevailed in Jaffna for the last three decades.

Even the people in this area have been displaced through fear and this temple has been completely closed without any poojas or worship. But, due to the normal situation which prevails in the Jaffna Peninsula, particularly at Vadamarachchy, the people from all parts of Jaffna visit almost all the Hindu Temples in large numbers without any harassment, disruption or interruption to perform their daily poojas.

This is the first time the devotees have been allowed to attend the water-cutting ceremony in the sea of Vallipura Alvar Vishnu Temple which has been denied to them for several years.

The historians have established the occupation of the Northern Region by NAGAS in the ancient days. Many customs, traditions and forms of worship still prevail which are attributed to them.

The veneration of the COBRA or SERPANT worship has been an ancient custom and the people who live around Nagarkovil are mostly farmers and their main occupation is fishing.

The people in this area before they embark an any activity of importance invoke the blessings of God Nagathambiran which is situated at Nagarkovil. This temple has become the Guardian Deity of the people and several miraculous incidents have taken place in this temple.

The Portuguese when they ruled Sri Lanka in the early part of 15th century destroyed many Hindu temples of historical importance and treated the people like slaves. They were occupying the coastal areas for their business activities and made the local people to do all the odd jobs and treated them like animals.

Once, the Captain of a ship belonging to the Portuguese Admiral diverted the ship to Nagarkovil in proximity to the Nagathambiran Devasthanam. While the devotees were very much involved in poojas, the Captain ordered his men to bring them forcibly like slaves and put them in his ship. Accordingly, they carried out the orders of the Captain and the devotees through fear got into the ship without a word. Along with them a beautiful young girl was also taken forcibly by his men and was kept locked up in a room in the ship. Through dehumanising and emasculating fear, the devotees of the Nagathambiran Temple were praying this Guardian Deity, Five Headed Cobra to save them.

While they were praying the Captain of the ship wanted to go from that particular area along with the people whom he had forcibly put them in the ship. But, to his surprise, the ship could not move even an inch from that place. The Captain tried all possible ways but every thing resulted in utter failure. Suddenly, a Five Headed Cobra appeared before him.

The Captain took the sword and cut it. But, several multiplied and appeared before him and did not allow the ship to move from that place.

Realizing that there could be some Divine power, the Captain ordered the people to get down from the ship and allowed them to go. But, still, the ship could not move. The Captain immediately inquired from one of his men, why the ship is not moving now.

Then, a compassionate and sympathetic sailor told the Captain that there was a beautiful girl kept locked up in a room.

Immediately, the Captain of the ship ordered his men to release this girl. As soon as she was released, the Captain and his men visited this temple and did poojas to the Deity and worshipped that they should be forgiven for their atrocities and blunder.

Thereafter, the ship moved from that place and the Captain of the ship never failed to perform poojas whenever he visited this temple.

This is a miraculous temple and a large number of devotees from all parts of Jaffna Peninsula have started visiting this temple to receive the divine blessings of God Nagathambiran.

(CM)

Hinduism in early Lanka

K.S. Sivakumaran

One of the well-known Lankan historians is K. Indrapala. He now lives in Sydney, Australia. He as a lecturer in history at the University of Peradeniya for 15 years from 1960 to 1975. In the University of Yaalpaanam he became the Foundation Professor of History in 1975.

During 1977/78 he was a Japan Foundation Fellow and Visiting Professor at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. And in 1984 he became the Foundation Professor of south East Asian Studies the Thanjavoor Thamil University in Thamilnadu.

Two years ago Vijitha Yapa publications brought out a Revised Second Edition of his well documented research work titled The Evolution of an Ethnic Identity. The first edition as published by Kumaran Book House.

The purpose here is to show some notes relating to Hinduism in early Lanka. In fact the book speaks about the Thamils in Sri Lanka C.360 BCE to C 1200 CE.

The intention of this writing is to gather facts from the book and retell them for the benefit of readers who may not be aware of the historical aspects of the Hindu religion.

* Saivaism clearly was one of the two main elements in the evolution of the Sri Lankan Thamils, the other being the Thamil language (P 225)

* The worship of Siva was prevalent in Sri Lanka from even before the mission of Mahinda in the 3rd century BCE(P 226)

* Soon after the invasion of the Choala emperor Rajaraja towards the end of the 10th century, a Siva temple at Padaviya was named as Ravikulamanikka Iswaram, after the emperor (P 228). The ruins of this temple are still there at Padaviya. The ruins of more Saiva temples have also been found. (P 228)

* Besides the temples of Matota (Maanthottam) and Gokarna (Thirukoanamalai), there were no doubt other Siva temples in the island. (P 231)

* Saivaism continued to be practised in the Sinhalese kingdom. Saiva temples were venerated in many places predominantly settled by Sinhala Buddhists. Two of the most venerated temples dedicated to Siva were the Nagarisa kovil at Devinuvara and Munnisavaram temple at Chilapam (Chilaw) (P 291)

To know about the Saiva bronze sculptures of Lanka, please read Appendix 111 in the book (PP 320-323). For inscriptions please read pages 332-338. Pages 342 to 402 are also must be read to know more about Lankan history and the importune of Saivaism in the country. In the same way notes on plates, and also the photographs substantiate the author’s balanced viewpoints.

Books such as this will also enlighten us about religions and history of the island. Hinduism and Buddhism are connected to each other in many ways. And all religions like Islam and Christianity (includes Catholicism) also stress the importance of spiritual values. In a shrinking world remaining in watertight compartments may not help us very much. We must respect all religions while practising one’s own religion.

The Hindu temples of Sri Lanka - part 3

S. Pathmanathan

The vertical strips, four in number, are found only on the cardinal faces of the domical octagon, the intermediate octants being left blank. From this flat top of the cornice of this eight-sided drum forming the lower part of the story sprang an octagonal dome splayed like a bell and ribbed at the angles. The dome was 11 ft. 3 in. in diameter at the bottom.

Shrine

The vimanam as it once stood, seems to have had height of 31 ft. 9 in. above the ground. It was capped by a lotus mahapadma, which was 3 ft. 8 in. diameter. The shaft and finial which rose from its centre was set on socket 4 in. square. From each side of the octagonal dome a single “Caitya window” projects boldly as a large-boarded dormer.

The ground floor of the antarala differed in ornamentation from the shrine only in the omission of niches and reduction in the number of pilasters from six to four on the sides and to two in front, with a pair of semi-pilasters flanking the entrance. Of the flat lower roof of the vestibule less than half the elongated slabs, which ceiled it horizontally, from east to west, remain in position.

There were two subsidiary shrines within the premises of Siva Devale No. 2 as suggested by the ground plan of minor buildings and other evidence from architectural remains. To the southeast a minor shrine set apart for the God Ganapati had existed. It had two chambers, an 8 ft. square cell and an antarala that was 6 ft. long and 5 ft. wide. A similar edifice was constructed at a distance of three yards of the northwest angle of the shrine.

Siva Devale No. 5

In order of chronological sequence Siva Devale No. 5 may be accorded priority here after Vanavanmatevi-isvaram. That it was established in the 11th century when the Colas occupied Polonnaruwa is clear from the inscriptions found among its remains. It is one of the two ruined temples to the west of the road, which divides them from the solitary mantapam on the left bank of the Yoda-ela.

Almost all the superstructures and walls of this temple had fallen down, and before archaeological excavation the main building, shrine and vestibule had the appearance of an unsightly grass-covered mound. The semi-circular dome, which had fallen behind the sanctum, was found almost intact among the debris of its architectural remains.

This large temple of brick construction consisted of six component parts: garbha-grha, antarala or inner vestibule, ardha mantapam or outer vestibule and three mantapams.

“The entire temple was surrounded by a prakara or outermost limitary wall the outlines of which have been lost. The gopuram or porch, through which access was provided into the temple premises, pierced the wall on to which it was built within. Only a few yards of this wall (3 to 4 ft. high) remain, with two of the tall roughly wedged pillars at the entrance. The gopuram had a central passage 8 ft. 6 in. wide, separating two small rooms, each about 8 or 9 ft. square.

Structure

“About twenty yards from behind the porch the first of the united mandapam and rooms forming the main Devale is reached. This was a transept like hall measuring inside 75 ft. 6 in. down the axis from north to south by 33 ft. 9 in. front to back.

“The columniation of this spacious hall followed its configuration. The roof was sustained on forty pillars - here as in other mandapams heterogeneous in size and outline, most squared, some dressed, a few octagonal - arranged in four rows of ten pillars, of which 24 were engaged to the brick walls and 16 left free standing. The widest inter-spacing was from north to south.”

“The interior plan of the second mantapam was almost square (24 ft. by 23 ft.). The even distribution, therefore, of its 16 pillars was to be expected. The four central pillar shafts are shapely dressed, and probably once sustained the roof tree on the spreading capitals of limestone now lying outside the building. These capitals exhibit a band of six hamsas on each face, three on either side of a lotus bud.

Four squared pillars were ranged in line from front to back in six rows, the pair flanking the entrance to the vestibule being octagonal. In addition this mantapam threw out from the south wall a rectangular four pillared as occurs at Siva Devale No. 4 on the Minneriya road.

The only difference between the antarala and the arttamtapam was in the slight variation of their dimensions.

Subsidiary shrines

The shrine, its vestibule and the two inner mantapams were shut in by an inner brick-walled enclosure, which started from the northwest and southwest corners of the mahamantapam forming the eastern limit of the temenos. Three subsidiary shrines of the usual double chamber type, besides a single roomed fourth one, were located within this enclosure. The one to the south west was set apart for Ganesa.

The figures of sapta-matr carved on three stone slabs found in the vicinity, may perhaps, suggest that they were enshrined in one of the other minor temples. The third shrine was located in proximity to the north wall of the arttamantapam, facing south, and the fourth one was in the northeast as at Siva Devale No. 1 and Siva Devale No. 3.

The brick-built Siva Devale No. 5 conformed very closely, with some modifications here and there, to the exterior - form, mouldings and ornamentation of Siva Devale No. 2 constructed of granite. In respect of the vestibule the nakedness of the north and south walls, broken at Siva Devale No. 2 by four pilasters on a plain face and nothing more, is here relieved by an arched niche headed by a makaratorana, and flanked by a pair of half pilasters similar to those on all the walls of the shrine except in frontier basement, which is slightly higher at Siva Devale No. 5 (4 ft. 8 in.), the coping and the pillar capitals of the two temples are alike.

To be Continued

Special pooja for God Nagarajah

Aruna Ponnambalam Kotagala Group Corr.

There will be special pooja for God Nagarajah at the All Ceylon Anantha Iyyappa Devasthanam, Aluthmawatha on October 13 (Tuesday) at 9 a.m., the day as special as his birth star Aylyam falls on the day.

This Pooja is held every month on the day of the star Aylyam falls.

These poojas will completely follow “Kerala” System.