Sri
Koneswarar Temple, Trincomalee District, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
Compiled by
Elango Kadhirvel
Location
Ø This Temple is located
in Trincomalee District in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka
Ø Nearest airport is the
China Bay Airport also called the Trincomalee Airport
Ø Around 250 kilometers
from both the Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo and the Jaffna Palaly
Airport
Presiding
Deities
Ø Lord Shiva as Sri
Koneswarar (Kone + Eswarar)
o Ko or Kone in Tamil
means "King" or "Chief" à Literally meaning Chief
Lord
Ø Goddess Parvathi as Sri
MadhumaiyaaL
Specialties
Ø Dakshina Kailash
o Heralded as
"Dakshina Kailash"/"Then Kailasham" (Kailash of the South)
because it lies on exactly the same longitude as the Tibetan mountain Mount
Kailash (believed to be the primary abode of Lord Shiva)
o Kachiyappa
Sivachariar’s Skanda Puranam compares this temple to Thillai Chidambaram Temple
and Mount Kailash in Shaivite esteem
Ø One of Sri Lanka's most
potent pilgrimage sites revered by Hindus and Buddhists alike
o Perched atop a bluff
called Swami Rock, overlooking the Bay of Bengal, the temple today lies
entirely within Fort Frederick, built by the Portuguese
o The ancient shrine
called Temple of a Thousand Columns was known far and wide in the Hindu world
until 1622, when the Portuguese used chunks of it to construct their fort and
then pushed the rest into the sea
o Noted science-fiction
writer Arthur C. Clarke, who made his later-life home in Sri Lanka, surveyed
the temple's underwater ruins while scuba diving near Swami Rock in 1956
§ In 1956, while scuba
diving, Clarke uncovered ruined masonry, architecture and idol images of the
sunken original Koneswaram temple – including carved columns with flower
insignias, and stones in the form of elephant heads – spread on the shallow
surrounding seabed
§ Other discoveries
included bronze statues from the original shrine, and these discoveries are
described in Clarke's 1957 book The Reefs of Taprobane
o Describing the findings
as "among the finest examples of Hindu bronze sculpture known to
exist," Clarke was largely responsible for expanding public awareness of
the historic site and its valued artifacts
o 1963, the locals
restored the temple and reinstalled many of its original images
o It shares a similarly
pious atmosphere and is considered one of Sri Lanka's most potent pilgrimage
sites for Hindus and Buddhists alike
Ø Ancient History
o This temple is believed
to have a history of around 3200 years
o This place was
originally called as Thiri-koodam
§ During that period
there were three temples via one on the hill top, one at the middle and third
at the base of the hill
o The old temple was
destroyed by the Portuguese after taking the drawings of Vimanams and
Rajagopurams
o The Moorthams (Idols)
were saved by the devotees and were dropped in the wells and ponds by
them
o New temple
reconstruction was started after independence in 1950 and the Shiva Lingam was
brought from Kashi
o The present temple was
reconstructed as per Shiva Aagama
o The old moorthams were
as taken from the wells and ponds were reinstalled
Ø One of the “Paadal
Petra Shiva Sthalankal” (meaning Shrines revered in the Thevaaram Hymns of the
Shaivite Saints)
o The Paadal Petra
Sthalam temples that are revered in the verses of Shaiva Nayanars in the 6th-9th
century AD and are amongst the greatest Shiva temples of the continent
o There are two Paadal
Petra Sthalams in Eezha Naadu (Sri Lanka)
§ This is First Sthalam
(Shrine) of the Eezha Naadu (Sri Lanka)
§ The second is
ThiruKeteeswaram
Legend
Ø Patanjali MaaMuni, who
gave Yoga to the World
o Thirumoolar's
seventh-century Tamil Thiru-Manthiram, describes Patanjali MaaMuni as hailing
from “Then Kailasham” (Koneswaram temple, Trincomalee), and tradition has him
visiting the Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram, where he wrote the Charana
Shrungarahita Stotram on Sri Nataraja
Quotes/Hymns
– Tamil Hymn by Saint Poet ThiruGnanaSambandar
தாயினும் நல்ல தலைவர்! என்று அடியார் தம் அடி போற்று-இசைப்பார்கள்
வாயினும் மனத்தும் மருவி நின்று அகலா மாண்பினர், காண் பலவேடர்,
நோயிலும் பிணியும் தொழலர்பால் நீக்கி நுழைதரு நூலினர் - ஞாலம்
கோயிலும் சுனையும் கடல்உடன் சூழ்ந்த கோணமாமலை அமர்ந்தாரே!
வாயினும் மனத்தும் மருவி நின்று அகலா மாண்பினர், காண் பலவேடர்,
நோயிலும் பிணியும் தொழலர்பால் நீக்கி நுழைதரு நூலினர் - ஞாலம்
கோயிலும் சுனையும் கடல்உடன் சூழ்ந்த கோணமாமலை அமர்ந்தாரே!
Transliterated
Text
Thaayeenum nalla thalaivar!
Endru adiyaar tham adi pottru isaipaarkal
Vaayinum
manaththum maruvi nindru akalaa maaNpinar, KaaN pala-vedar,
Noyilum
piNiyum thozhalar-paal neekki nuzhai-tharu noolinar - Gnaalam
Koilum
sunaiyum kadal-udan soozhintha KoNa-MaaMalai amarinthaare!
Translation
The Lord at
ThiruKoneswaram! (Koneswaram, is surrounded by tanks and by sea)
-
The Lord Showers
much more than Motherly Love!
-
The Lord Would Never
Leave the Hearts/Mouths/Mind of HIS Devotees, who constantly remember HIM!
-
HE has many many
forms which are visible ONLY to the subtle eye
-
HE Removes the
physical ailments and the spiritual impurities from those who have the business
of constantly remembering HIM!
Reference
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