Nainativu
Nainathivu
නාගදීපය | |
|---|---|
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Northern |
| District | Jaffna |
| DS Division | Islands South |
Nainathivu or Nainatheevu, also known as Nagadipa or Nagadeepa (Template:Lang-si,Template:Lang-ta) is a small but notable island off the coast of Jaffna Peninsula, in the Sri Lankan Tamil dominated Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is also known as Nagadipa in Sinhalese. It is home to the renowned historic Hindu shrine Nagabooshani Amman temple. The island is mentioned in ancient Buddhist legends of Sri Lanka such as Mahavamsa and in the ancient Tamil Sangam literature of nearby Tamil Nadu (such as Manimekalai).[1]
In culture
Literature and temples
Since pre historical times Nainathuvu was inhabited by the Naagars one of the indigenous people of Sri Lanka from whom the Sri Lankan Tamils descend.
The Manimekalai describes the ancient island of Nainatheevu, one of several Jaffna islets where Tamil fishermen and merchants of the early Chola and early Pandyan kingdoms came to obtain gems (naga-rathnam) and conch shells, used widely for Saivite rituals that flourished in the ancient Tamil country. Tamil pilgrims visited the shrine of the ancient serpent godthe Nayinar kovil also called as the Saivite Shri Nagapooshani Amman Temple, the Nagapooshani Amman temple.
Ancient Hindu Origins
"Naagam" means Snake in Tamil. Nagar in Tamil denotes the Naagar people who were a indigenous people of Sri Lanka. The Nagars derived their name from a customary practice of worshiping Serpants and the Hindu God Shiva. The Nagabooshani Amman temple is an ancient cobra worshipper's temple.
The Buddha is also believed to have visited the island to resolve a dispute between two Naagar kings. Naga Dipa in Mahawamsa refers to all of the Jaffna peninsula rather than Naina Tivu itself. Names are often imposed on various places to fit their political agenda by Sri Lankan archeologists and government of that time.
The first temples on the islet were destroyed, along with every other Hindu temples on the main island following the arrival of the Portuguese at the beginning of the 17th century (circa 1620 CE). The Nagapooshani Amman temple was then renovated in the 18th century following their departure. In the 20th century, the temple was attacked in June 1958 , and again in March 1986 during the IPKF era, but each time, whilst sustaining damage, it was renovated.
The present images within the inner sanctorum (karu-arai) are ancient, one being a five-headed cobra (Nayinar) and the other, a stone figure of Amman (Shakthi).
Buddhist Links
The Naga Deepa is now referred to as the whole of North and East Province by archeologists.
The two great Buddhist epics in Tamil Kundalakesi and Manimekalai is suspected to refer to Jaffna. Manimekalai describes Manipallavam and it may be the Jaffna peninsula. In Manimekalai a Buddhist shrine is mentioned in which the Tamil heroine Manimekalai arrived to worship at around the 1st century CE. The island in these scriptures is known as Mani Pallava tivu or simply Manipallavam.
Even thought Manimekalai is a 'Kaviyam' ( a epic which was not based on historical records) the mention of a Buddist Temple led to the Goverment and the Sinhala population of Sri Lanka to build a Buddist temple in the area, against the wishes of the indigenous Tamil population. A photo of this can be seen in the right side of this texts.
Further a pond called 'Mani Pallavam' is also mentioned in Manimekalai. The Buddist now suspect this may be the 'Palavi pond' found in Thiruketheeswaram near Mannar.
The heroine of the epic manimekalai is described as wandering amongst the island's 'long sandy dunes and lagoons.' Thus it has led to the late speculation by the Buddist that India and Lanka were linked by a land bridge and sea was 100 feet lower than the present sea level which allowed the heroin to walk into the area from India.
There is a Buddhist 'Naga vihare temple' which was built somewhere around 2005, by the Sri Lankan army and Buddhist monks against the wishes of the local Tamils. This was done with assistance of the Sri Lankan Government.
Inscriptions
There is a Tamil language inscription on the islet by Parâkramabâhu I of the 12th century that states foreign merchants must land at Kayts before entering the island, and for other ports, at Urkaavat thurai. There is also an ancient anchor from past traders that is kept for exhibition on the islet.