Buddhist shrine hidden away in an island:

Nagadeepa Vihara

A view from the jetty

The sun was beating down the Nainativu Island, and the visitors experienced the sweltering heat. The devotees however, were not to be disheartened. Near the entrance to the island at one of the Army checkpoints, soldiers ensured us that the day was ideal for worship as the place was not so crowded. The well-known temple was a popular destination but nobody could visit it for the past 30 years.

Nagadeepa Vihara, the Buddhist temple at Nainativu Islands, is one of the sixteen most venerated places of worship among devotees. Mahavamsa explains the importance of the Nagadeepa Vihara as a place where the Buddha paid a visit during his second visit to the country on a Bak Maha Poya Day.

The Naga King Mahodara and Prince Chulodara, father and son-in-law, were about to wage war over a gem-studded throne after the death of King Mahodara's daughter who was the wife of Chulodara.

The throne had been a wedding gift from the King. Hearing of the impending war, the Buddha visited Nagadeepa and resolved the conflict peacefully. It is at this site that the Nagadeepa Temple of today stands.

A mural depicting the history of Nagadeepa

Main Shrine Room

This incident is depicted in a mural near the bo tree. The Tamil Buddhist epic, Manimekala, also cites the same story and a stone with the Buddha's footprint at Nagadeepa.

The journey to Nagadeepa from Jaffna is exciting. The road from Jaffna runs across a long causeway to the island of Kayts then from there on another causeway, which leads to Pungudutivu.

From the far end of the Pungudutivu, from the Kurikadduvan Jetty, the visitors must take a boat to reach the temple. Sri Lanka Navy oversee this service while many private groups operate the boat service. The 15 minute journey to the temple was not at all thrilling.

The boat was crowded with nearly one hundred people from all walks of life. Since the roof of the boat was low, we had a hard time trying to stand properly. There was also no proper ventilation.

However, as soon as we reached the isle, I did not even remember the boat ride. What lay ahead in the islet was magnificent and it was well worth the difficult trip. The island has an old Hindu Kovil, called Naga Pooshani Amman Kovil, in addition to the temple, now there is another jetty built near the temple as well.

If there are more Buddhists in the boat, it will be stopped near the Temple jetty and if there are more Hindus, the boat will go up to the Kovil jetty. The management and the viharadhipathi Ven. Navadagala Padumakiththi Tissa Nayaka Thera insists on the importance of a proper dress code and decency from visitors.

Nagadeepa Stupa

Ancient Bo tree

Unlike other stupas in the country, Nagadeepa stupa is painted in Silver. We learnt that it was due to the Stupa's limestone structure and the close proximity to the sea, which makes it constantly subject to the salty breeze and thus the silver paint protects the structure. There are two shrine rooms at the premises.

The shrine behind the Stupa is the main shrine room. Decorated in traditional Jaffna architecture it is a simple yet elegant building. The other is a rather smaller shrine room with a bronze Buddha statue enshrined in it.

Even during our visit, the temple was under construction. Many soldiers were also involved in the construction work. After worshipping Nagadeepa, we had to walk up to the Kovil jetty to return. We left the Temple premises and walked along the road leading towards the kovil.

Soon we arrived at the makeshift stalls, or 'thorombal shops'. They were selling Palmyrah jaggery, popcorn, fruits and conch shells that are abundant in the area.

"Buy 'inguru dosi' from me, three boxes are over and the last six remains," an old woman announced. "Buy Palmyrah jaggery from us, take these for your loved ones," a man shouted. It was a chaotic situation. We rushed to the jetty under the blazing sun and the heat. For our relief this time it was a better boat with less crowd.

The boat slowly drifted away from the islet, and the excited youngsters in the boat tried pushing the elderly crowd from the entrance and climbed on to the roof and one of them nearly fell into the sea!

Luckily, they had their life jackets on. Journey to Nagadeepa, was a memorable trip.