Keerimalai Naguleswaram Temple — Attraction in Northern Province

The ancient Hindu Temple Naguleswaram with its healing waters, is located in Sri Lanka,

Keerimalai Naguleswaram temple (Tamil: கீரிமலை நகுலேஸ்வரம் கோயில்), historically known also as the Thirutambaleswaram Kovil of Keerimalai, is a famous Hindu temple in Keerimalai, located north of Jaffna, Northern Province, Sri Lanka in the suburb of Kankesanthurai. One of the oldest shrines of the region, it is the northernmost of the island's Pancha Ishwarams of Lord Siva, venerated by Hindus across the world from classical antiquity. Hindus believe its adjacent water tank, the Keerimalai Springs, to have curative properties, which irrigation studies attribute to high mineral content sourced from underground. Keerimalai is 50 feet above sea level, and situated west of Palaly. Hindus flock in large numbers on Aadi Amaavaasai day which falls during the Tamil month of Aadi, to carry out rituals for their forefathers and bathe in the natural springs. Carried out largely by men, “Keerimalai” is particularly famous for this festival. The temple was largely damaged following the Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom, restored by Arumuka Navalar in 1894, was occupied by the Sri Lankan Army in 1983 and bombed by the Sri Lankan Air Force in 1993. After nearly twenty years, a major expansion and reopening of the temple occurred in 2012. Keeri in Tamil and nagula in Sanskrit mean "mongoose". Keeri-malai in Tamil means "Mongoose-Hill". The temple is situated adjacent to the mineral water springs. The legendary sage Nagula Muni, shrunk by age and austerity while meditating at a cave in Keerimalai was likened to mongooses that frequented the area. The sage bathed in the springs and was cured of his mongoose face. In gratitude, Nagula Muni constructed a small shrine and worshipped the Lingam enshrined there. This became known as the Thirutambaleswaram Kovil of Keerimalai and also the Naguleswaram Kovil of Keerimalai alluding to the sage. 🌺🙏🔥 Naguleswaram temple of Kankesanthurai was restored during the reign of Prince Vijaya of Vanga (543-505 BCE). One of the oldest shrines of the region, it is the northernmost shrine on the island of the Pancha Ishwarams of Lord Siva, venerated by Hindus across the world from classical antiquity. Its adjacent water tank, the Keerimalai Springs attribution to curative properties has been related in irrigation scientific studies to its high mineral content, sourced from underground Keerimalai Springs, Kankesanthurai. The Pandyan-Cholan princess Maruthapura Veeravalli built the Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple two miles from Naguleswaram in 785 CE after she was cured of her facial disfigurement at the Keerimalai springs, and later married the King Ukkira Singhan a scion of Vijaya's dynasty, at the temple's springs. Eliandurvan, one of the four brothers of the Mukkuvar king Vedi Arasan ruled at Keerimalai. "Maasi Magam" and "Aadi Amaavaasai" festival days, the latter falling during the Tamil month of "Aadi" (mid July-mid August) brings Hindu pilgrims to the town to carry out rituals for their forefathers and take a divine dip in the natural springs. These rituals are usually carried out by men. Keerimalai is particularly famous for this festival. The new moon or Amaavasai is a significant day, and according to Tamil astrologers, in the month of Aadi, the moon is in the ascendant in Kataka rasi, which is occupied by the Sun; this concurrence is reminiscent of Siva and Sakthi in Hinduism. Hence, there is special significance of Aadi Amavaasai as a day when children remember their departed parents, notably their late fathers. It is customary for them to perform ablutions, offer prayers to the departed souls with the help of a priest (Dharpanam) and attend a temple of Siva. In Sri Lanka, Keerimalai Naguleswaram temple continues as the foremost shrine for...

The Hindu shrine called Naguleshvaram or or Naguleswaram or Nagulesvara or Nagilesa Kovil belongs to the small town of Keerimalai, also spelt Keerimale or Kirimalai. To many foreign tourists the sanctuary is therefore known as the "temple of Keerimalai". Historically, the temple is also known as Thirutambaleswaram Kovil.

Apart from Nallur Kandaswamy, this is the most venerated Hindu place of worship on the Jaffna peninsula. It's located at its northern shores, 17 km north of Jaffna city and 21 km west of Point Pedro.

Naguleshvaram Kovil is one of the five Ishvaram temples on Indian ocean islands and the only which is situated one on the Jaffna Peninsula. Ishvaram, also transcribed Isvara, is the Lord or the World. Most Tamil Hindus identify him as Shiva. Thus, the Naguleshvaram is one of the most respected Shiva temples in the Tamil culture. There are many more Kovils dedicated to Shiva all over Sri Lanka. However, only few of them are called "Ishvarams". Besides Naguleshvaram, the Ishvarams of Sri Lanka are Muneshvaram near Chilaw in the west, Koneshvaram in Trincomalee in the northeast and Ketheeshvaram near Mannar in the northwest of the island. That's altogether four. But which one is the fifth? Some Sri Lankan Shiva temples in the Northern and Eastern Provinces claim to be the fifth Ishvaram. Many people say, the fifth Ishvaram was the Hindu temple at Dondra Head, the southernmost point of the island. That Shiva shrine was, after the Portuguese invaders had destroyed it out of religious fanatism, never reconstructed. However, usually Sri Lanka's four Ishvarams are counted together with one Indian temple as "Five Ishvarams". This Indian Ishvaram on Indian territory is nevertheless not situated on the mainland. It's the Rameshvaram Kovil on the small island of the same name. Indeed, Rameshvaram is the most venerated Shiva shrine of southern India at all. So it's not fair to call it "fifth Ishvaram". It's definitely number 1. However, Rameshvaram plus four said shrines on the island of Sri Lanka are usually counted as the "Five Ishvaram" ("Pancha Ishvarams"). Naguleshvaram Kovil is the...

The temple has an interesting mythological history behind it. It's said to be one of the five Pancha Ishwaram's which was built by Ravana who was an ardent devotee of God Shiva. It's also believed that, after Rama killed Ravana to rescue Sita he was advised by few saints to visit all five sacred Shiva linga's to cleanse him from the sin he accumulated by killing Ravana, so as part of the process he had bathed in Keerimalai pond to cleanse his sins.

Initially this temple was known to be as Tiruthambaleswaram but later it was changed to Naguleswaram due to Sage Nagula. Sage Nagula was residing near the Shiva lingam and the pond and due to his age his face and body had shrunk to position where he looked like a Mongoose (Keeri). Thereafter, one day he had taken a bath in the pond where he had got instant cure. From then the temple was called Keeri or Nagula which means Mongoose. A Pandyan princess Maruthapura Veeravalli as also had a disfigured face and then came he to bathe in the pond a

King Vijaya had constructed a larger shrine to the temple. During the rule of Portuguese, they destroyed the temple. Arumuga Navalar reconstructed the temple during 1890's but a fire destroyed the temple again on 1910. It was rebuilt again but during war in 1990, a major bombing destroyed it again. It wasn't rebuilt until 1997 and gradually it was rebuilt and the 2012 Mahakumbabhishegam was done to invite all devotees. To go see the linga, Males need to remove their shirts/t-shirts and go inside bare body (top part only).

The Keerimalai pond, has said above is believed to provide healing power and analysis has said that it contains high mineral present in the water. While the water resource is believed to be deriving from Nilavarai bottemless well. There is only a wall which separates the pond...