Koneswaram Temple
| Koneswaram Temple | |
|---|---|
 Shiva temple front gate with the bell tower | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| Location | |
| Location | Trincomalee, Sri Lanka |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Dravidian architecture |
8°34′57″N 81°14′44″E / 8.58250°N 81.24556°E Koneswaram temple (Template:Lang-ta) 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, the temple has lay in ruins, been restored, renovated and enlarged by various royals and devotees throughout its history. 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.
Myths surrounding the temple associate it with the popular Indian epic Ramayana, and its legendary hero-king Rama. There is literary and inscriptional evidence of kings of the Tamil Pandyan and Chola empires of South India such as King Kulakottan contributing to the reconstruction and maintenance of the temple in the 5th century CE. 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.
In 1622 CE, the Konewaram temple, known as the Temple of the Thousand Pillars, was largely destroyed by the Portuguese colonials. Only its inner sanctum survived. Hindus built a successor temple at another site, known as Ati Konanayakar temple in Tampalakamam in the 17th century CE to house the detroyed temple's idols and statues. In 1952, the temple was rebuilt at the original Koneswaram site around the ancient inner sanctum after a gap of 450 years by local Hindu Tamils. 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.[1][2] In the sixth century CE, there was a special coastal route by boat from the Jaffna peninsula southwards to the Koneswaram temple, and further south to Batticaloa to the religious centre Tirukovil.[3] Koneswaram 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.[citation needed]
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[4].
See also
References
- ^ Hellmann-Rajanayagam, Dagmar (1994). "Tamils and the meaning of history". Contemporary South Asia. 3 (1). Routledge: 3–23. doi:10.1080/09584939408719724.
- ^ Schalk, Peter (2002). "Buddhism Among Tamils in Pre-colonial Tamilakam and Ilam: Prologue. The Pre-Pallava and the Pallava period". Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. 19–20. Uppsala University: 159, 503.
The Tamil stone inscription Konesar Kalvettu details King Kulakottan's involvement in the restoration of Koneswaram temple in 438 A.D. (Pillay, K., Pillay, K. (1963). South India and Ceylon);
- ^ Ismail, Marina (1995). "Early settlements in northern Sri lanka".
ln the sixth century AD there was a coastal route by boat from the Jaffna peninsula in the north, southwards to Trincomalee, especially to the religious centre of Koneswaram, and further onwards to Batticaloa and the religious centre of Tirukovil, along the eastern coast. Along this route there were a few small trading settlements such as Mullativu on the north coast...
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