Shri Munnesweram Ishwara Maha Devale :

Month-long Nikini Maha Festival

Text and pix by Christie Fernando - Chilaw special cor.

With peace pervading in the country, an influx of devotees from all walks of life is anticipated and Hindus in large numbers will converge on the outskirts of the ancient and legendary Shri Munneswaram Ishwara Maha Devale two miles off Chilaw for the month-long Hindu festival.

Pilgrims from India too make a beeline to the temple to seek favours and blessings from the deities.

Unlike the previous years, unprecedented crowds are expected during the festive season and precautions are taken to prevent a stamped and maintain smooth movement of crowds, especially before the final week of the festival and during processions when taking the Grand Chariot in procession.

The police patrol the area day and night to curb any unruly behaviour and hooliganism. Police will ensure prevention of pick-pocketing and harassment to devotees right round the clock.

Shri Munneswaram Devasthanams Chief priest and Trustee S. Padmanaban Kurukkal said many fancy stalls and eating-houses leased out for the festive month of celebrations are cited away from the main temple.

As in the days of yore, the carnival atmosphere will prevail for visitors to Chilaw during the festive season with a variety of shows, open-air theatre and entertainment and regale the visitors.

Vendors exhibit their merchandise and wares of all types by the roadside right from Chilaw town to the surrounding area of the temple premises.

The young and old revel the glittering colours and the vivacious extravaganza. This busy thoroughfare is restricted to either side of the road, leading to the temple.

The hurly-burly atmosphere for amusement and enjoyment of youths and kids are galore.

The merry-go-round and other forms of entertainment opened to the public attract the youth though it detracts the religious fervour of the festival. The gala atmosphere prevails to perpetuate the spirit of the festival.

Processions are held daily inside and outside the temple. Kavadi dancing and pageantry according to Hindu custom and practice are part of the festival and merriment.

The devotees invoke divine blessings in a spirit of supplication and penance for their past lapses and transgressions.

Rituals

The rituals performed at the Munnesweram Kovil are unique and unparalleled compared to other ritualistic ceremonies performed in well-known temples in the island, in that, the devotees are seen keeping vigil in the precincts of the temple, engrossed in prayer and contemplation and remorse for their sins and omissions. Some penitents are seen lying prostrate or walking about with their flesh pierced with spikes and darts with ash sprinkled on their foreheads in penitence and atonement.

Offerings of devotees are placed in front of the deities by the officiating Hindu priests inside the inner sanctum. Another conspicuous hallmark of the gifts offered by devotees is the dashing of coconuts in the periphery of the temple. The priests also chant incantations to the deities on behalf of Hindu and other adherents present.

Reminiscing the legend connected with this festival, the Munnesweram Hindu Shrine is regarded as one of the oldest Hindu temples in the island. It has a strange origin according to the legend.

Rama after slaying Ravana was returning to India with Sita in his “Air Chariot”, when impulsively a desperate feeling of guilt gripped him. It is also said that when passing Munneswaram in his air chariot, he espied a spire of the temple and decided to alight and worship there, and while praying, Lord Siva and His consort Parvathy appeared before him and feeling the compassion for the penitent Rama, ordered him to enshrine three Sivalingams, one in each of the most sacred places namely Muuneswaram, Koneswaram and Thiruketheeswaram.

Lord Siva, according to legend, had pointed to a place north of the Mayavan Aru (Mee Oya) and told him to enshrine the relic. Rama built the temple at the exact spot, which is now known as Munneswaram.

The festival is shrouded in antiquity. According to legend, one full-moon night, in the month of Nikini, a sage who was meditating under a banyan tree looked up and saw goddess Amman, the mother of Skanda, who readily granted him his wishes.

He had asked her to bless all the pilgrims assembled there for worship, and ever afterwards, a great festival is held in memory of the meeting of Agastiar, the sage and Amman, and is continued to this day.

Only a stone’s throw away from the main temple is Thiru Adi Kali temple dedicated to goddess Kali. Devotees who make vows to goddess Kali were known to show results instantly. For, she is believed to punish the wrongdoers; lost articles are found through her intercession. Devotees also visit this temple seeking favours from her.

The festival culminates in a fitting finale with pomp and pageantry with the Water-cutting Ceremony at Deduru Oya two miles off Chilaw on Binara full moon Poya day, Monday, September 8 at 12 noon.

Other rituals and festivities continue till September 10.

Celebration

The festival which beging with the flag-hoisting ceremony, is a hive of activity for over 30 days. It comes to a close on September 10 with the festive celebration.

The traditional Grand Chariot procession wends its way to the Deduru Oya two miles away for ritual cleansing.

The devotees bathe in the river and in the evening, the Grand Chariot carrying the deities passes through the Chilaw town and stops in front of the Chilaw Urban Council, where to the beating of drums, sounding of trumpets and gleeful Kavadi dancing and rejoicing continue unabated for about one hour.

The chariot then proceeds to the promenade of the Chilaw beach where more festivities and rituals continue exuberantly before returning to the temple at Munneswaram in the wee hours of the morning.

The Munneswaram hamlet then returns to its customary slumber - to wake up expectantly the following year.