Koneswaram Temple

Koneswaram Temple
Shiva temple front gate with the bell tower
Religion
Affiliation	Hinduism
Location
Location	Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
Architecture
Type	Dravidian architecture

Koneswaram temple (Tamil: திருக்கோணேச்சரம் கோயில்) is an important Hindu temple in Sri Lanka, a predominantly Buddhist country. The Koneswaram temple is purported to have been in existence since at least 300 CE. Overlooking Swami Rock and the Trincomalee harbour, throughout its history, the temple has lay in ruins, been restored, renovated and enlarged by various royals and devotees. Myths surrounding the temple associate it with the popular Indian epic Ramayana, and its legendary hero-king Rama. Koneswaram is one of five ancient temples (Ishwarams) dedicated to Shiva and venerated by Hindus in the region. The temple is located in Trincomalee, a port town with mixed Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim population. The port town itself has a history dating back to 300 BCE.

There is literary and inscriptional evidence of kings of the Pandyan and Chola empires of South India contributing to the reconstruction and maintenance of the temple. During the medieval period, the temple came under the control of Vannimai chiefs in the Eastern Province who provided for the upkeep of the temple. Kings of the Jaffna kingdom and Kandyan kingdom further maintained the temple.

Until 1622 CE, the Konewaram temple, known as the Temple of the Thousand Pillars stood at its successor's current location until it was largely destroyed by the Portuguese colonials. Only the original's inner sanctum survived. Hindus built a successor temple known as Ati Konanayakar temple in Tampalakamam in the 17th century CE to house the original's idols and statues. The current temple was built at the Swami Rock site after a gap of 450 years by local Hindu Tamils in 1952. The annual temple festival attracts Hindus from around the country.

Origins

Trincomalee is a natural deep-water harbor that attracted great sea farers like Marco Polo, Ptolemy and sea traders from China and East Asia from the ancient times. The local name Thirukonamalai means "Holy East Hill". Kona is a derivative of the 1st Century Tamil word Kuna meaning East. Trinco as it is commonly called, has been a sea port since the days of the ancient Kings and one of the British Empire's most important ports in Asia during the second world war. From 1941-45, Trinco had been the headquarters of Lord Louis Mountbatten Allied Southeast Asia commander.

The Koneswaram temple is believed to have been a major religious shrine since before the arrival of Prince Vijaya 2500 years ago. The history of the original Trincomalee Koneswaram temple goes back to 1589 BCE, as recorded in a Tamil poem by poet Kavi Rajavarothiam. Many inscriptions found in the surrounding area speak of Tamil Pallava, Chola and even Pandya kings making contributions to the upkeep of the temple indicating an origin in antiquity. Chronicles such as the Yalpana Vaipava Malai and stone inscriptions like Konesar Kalvettu recount that Kulakkottan, an early Chola king and descendant of Manu Needhi Cholan, was the restorer of the ruined Koneswaram temple and tank at Trincomalee in 438 CE, the Munneswaram temple of the west coast, and as the royal who settled ancient Vanniyars in the east of the island. The temple is mentioned in Saiva literature circa 700 CE by Thirugnana Sambanthar. Koneswaram is one of the four important Saivite temple connected to the revival of Hinduism in Sri Lanka. The other three temples are situated in Ketheeswaram, Munneswaram and Galle.

There is evidence that indicates at least some of the later Sinhalese Buddhist kings too maintained the temple although Buddhist King Mahasena was reported to have destroyed it and built a Buddhist temple and Dagoba in its place. Although a temple(s) dedicated to Shiva in Trincomalee region is attested to in Sinhalese and Tamil literature and inscriptions, there is controversy as to whether the current temple is built on a previous Buddhist temple or not.

This shrine was demolished in 1622 by the Portuguese (who called it the Temple of a Thousand Columns), who fortified the heights with the materials derived from its destruction. Some of the artefacts from the demolished temple were kept in the Lisbon Museum. The stone inscription by Kulakottan has a dual fish emblem and is engraved with a prophesy stating that after 1500s, westerners with different eye colors will rule the country for the ensuing 500 years and at the end of it, the rule will revert back to Vadugus. Trincomalee was next held by the Dutch, and subsequently by them and the French alternately, till the capture of Sri Lanka by the British in 1795.

The hill face is rugged and is called 'Ravanan Veddu'. As Trinco is full of seismic and volcanic activity as seen in Kanniya Hot Springs area, this rugged face of rock is a reminder of the movement of Earth's crust in this area.

In literature

Along with Ketheeswaram in Mannar, this temple was mentioned by one of the Bhakti era Tevaram literature by one of the Nayanmars, namely Sundarar in South India, indicating its popularity even in India.

Thirukonasala Vaipavam, written by the poet V. Akilesapillai is an important literary work in Tamil on the history of this temple.

Destruction by the Portuguese

After 1505 A.D, the temple was destroyed by Portuguese catholic colonialists (along with countless Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim places of worship around the island), while the main statue was taken out to town for a festive occasion. At this time Portuguese soldiers entered into the temple dressed as Iyer priests and robbed the temple. The temple was destroyed and its building materials were used in the construction of a nearby fort by the Portuguese.

The present statues were found when digging a well in Trinco. During the time of Portuguese rule the statues were hidden in a silted well and were later forgotten. During independence, the ancient statues were finally discovered.

Reconstruction

After a gap of almost 450 years, after the Sri Lankan independence, some Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu people of Trincomalee came together and built the present temple in 1952. In size it's very small compared to the original temple.

The annual festival at this temple attracts pilgrims from all parts of India.

See also

• Hinduism in Sri Lanka
• Trincomalee
• Kinniya
• Thiriyai
• Nilaveli