Naagars
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The Naagars are a indigenous people [ indigenous people of Sri Lanka ] from whom sections of the present Sri Lankan Tamil population of Sri Lanka re descend. The Nagars derived their name from a customary practice of worshiping Serpants and the Hindu God Shiva.
The great Tamil Buddist epic 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 that flourished in the ancient Tamil country.
Since pre historical time Tamil pilgrims have visited the shrine of the ancient serpent godthe Nayinar kovil also called as the Saivite Shri Nagapooshani Amman Temple. The ancient practice of leaving silver/ gold serpent at the ancient “Nagabooshani Amman temple” as gifts and offering are still followed by the Tamil population to this day.