Naguleswaram temple stands sentinel over Jaffna

By Sivanandini DURAISWAMY

The ancient shrine Naguleswaram stood majestically on the northern coastline of Jaffna as a sentinel watching over the people of Jaffna for almost two millennia. Unfortunately, this impressive temple was destroyed by the Portuguese invaders in the early 17th century and its wanton destruction left hardly anything in the old site.

It was Sri Arumuga Navalar who led the revival movement and helped to rebuild the temple in its natural environs in the late 19th century. He was able to do it because the memories of the temple remained with the villagers who kept the sites sacred by venerating them.

Various artifacts of the temples hurriedly hidden, or submerged under the debris or consigned to the sea for safety, by the fleeing priests and the local people, continue to surface from time to time add to the memories and help determine the existence of a temple at a particular spot. Chronicles and inscriptions enhance the memories helping archaeologists and historians to relate the story.

Lord Siva

Legend has it that in ancient times Naguleswaran together with Tiruketheeswaram and Tirukoneswaram developed as shrines dedicated to Lord Siva in the port cities of Dambakola, Mantai and Trincomalee respectively. The three temples were sanctuaries as it were of "thanksgiving" where the people offered poojas and prayers to the Lord to guide the traders and sailors on their long voyage to and from the Mediterranean Sea in the west and China in the east.

According to an inscription found in Anuradhapura dated 2nd century BC, Navika Damila meaning Tamil sailors controlled the ground trade and were the custodians of these temples. The temples held a position of pre-eminence because of their great antiquity, the degree of sanctity invested by tradition and their reputations as centres of pilgrimages.

The port cities and the temples developed in those ancient times due to the unique geographical position of the northern part of Sri Lanka enabling them to become the natural hub between the two empires of Rome and China - the main trading partners.

The trade was the outcome of the Roman craze for Chinese silk that created inter-continental trade and communications 2000 years ago making Sri Lanka around the first millennium the main trade emporium for east-west trade along the Silk Routes which were important paths for cultural, commercial and technological exchange between traders, merchants, pilgrims, missionaries, soldiers, and urban dwellers from ancient China, ancient India, Persia and the Mediterranean countries for almost 3,000 years.

The Naguleswaram Temple was built close to the Jambukola Pattuna or Dambakola Patuna - the ancient port in the north of Jaffna present day Kankesanturai which was used during pre-christian times. The temple is perhaps the oldest Sivan temple in the island and is also known as Tiruttampaleswaram.

Significance

In addition to its commercial significance, the port of Dambakola was the Island's religio-political link with the Indian subcontinent. Tradition has it that after Arahat Mahinda brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka in 250BC, his sister, Theri Sanghamitta arrived in Sri Lanka with a Sacred Bo Sapling from Bodhgaya one year later to this port.

Naguleswaram is one of the five ancient Sivan temples in the island and is deeply associated with the legendary figure Nagulamuni who is said to have lived in the nearby cave. He was deformed having the face of a mongoose and it was the regular ablutions at the sanctified spot in the sea which is believed to have miraculous powers, cured his deformity. And this site is Keerimala which has natural springs famed for its water and rituals.

Legend

The name Keerimalai has been wonderfully preserved in numerous legends. It is a thirtham and its curative value of the waters is the theme around which many legends are woven - Nagula Muni and Princess Marudhapura Valli lost their deformity.

The entire temple complex seems to have been built around the cave and the curative springs indicate a pre-historic origin for the shrine. In Tamil the word Keeri and its sanskrit equivalent Nagulam mean a Mongoose.

The antiquity of this temple has been recorded in many Indian religions treatises such as Dakshina Kailasa Puranam and Skanda Puranam indicating that it was a pilgrimage centre for South Indian Hindus.

Keerimalai is 50 feet above the main sea level with its fresh water underground springs. The word conjures up the image of rituals as Hindus flock in large numbers on Aadi Amaavaasai which falls during the Tamil month of Aadi, to hold ceremonies for their forefathers and take a divine dip in the natural springs.

To the Hindus, Aadi Amaavaasai is a day of remembrance where from time immemorial they have been practising ancestor worship, invoking the benevolent presence of departed souls, seeking protection for those now departing and praying that embodied souls might be blessed with peace on Earth.

And this day of remembrance is all important to the Hindus since it is the month that has been astrologically associated with the performance of rites to the departed Souls known as the Pitir kadan,a duty by the son to the dead (father) ancestor so that the departed Soul will be blessed on its onward journey.

The funery rites of capintikaranam and asticancayanam have made Keerimalai all the more sacred.

Harmony

Keerimalai has been the aadi amaavaasai abode for centuries with Hindus coming here in remembrance of the departed ancestors by way of tarpana, shraddha and pinda.

In remembering them they live in harmony with their departed loved ones and with all those at present times.

These ceremonies are performed to please the departed by oblations, nourishment and refreshment.

The ceremonies performed in Keerimalai go back to the Vedic age and two conceptions of ancestors namely the pitris and pretas could be distinguished in the ancestral offerings from that time onwards.

The pitris are the distant half forgotten ancestors and the preta is the recently departed parent. At the ceremonies, the preta is ranked first amongst the ancestors who number only three for the ceremonies and with the offering of pindas, the great grand father of the preta is left out and the process continues in this manner.

In the midst of several families performing one realises that while offerings are made they revere the ancestors and reconnect emotionally and spiritually to their memory and vibrations.

In reconnecting and resonating with them, they feel their grace protecting him.

At the end of the ceremonies, they sit in meditation and seek the presence of the ancestors and pray for those newly departed. The principle in all these observances and pitri rites is the worship of the departed one and satisfying their wishes so that they could be at peace with themselves for the rest of the year.

The shrine of Naguleswaram and the sacred mineral water springs of Keerimalai are indeed ancient and synonyms with the aadi amaavaasai ceremonies. The names Nagula Muni and Keeri have been wonderfully preserved in numerous legends with the curative waters as the theme around which many legends are woven.