Nallur Murugan Temple annual festival begins

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 July 2006, 11:04 GMT]
The twenty-five day annual festival of the historic Nallur Kandasamy Temple in Jaffna began 30 July Sunday 10:30 a.m. with the Sacred Flag hoisting ceremony (Kodi Etram). The Sacred Flag for the ceremony was brought to the temple premises from Gurunathar temple located close to the Sattanathar temple Saturday morning in a procession of devotees.


The festival will culminate in Theertham (Water cutting) on the penultimate day, followed by Poonkavanam on the last day of the month long festival.

Although the annual festival in the vastly renovated Temple turns Jaffna into a virtual spiritual town, this year the mood is likely to be subdued due to the unstable security climate in Jaffna. The daily festival events are to conclude before 5:00 p.m. everyday, temple administrators said.

Temple adminstrators have appealed to the devotees to avoid engaging in acitivities around the temple premises that will draw the attention of security forces.

Although the traditional volunteer groups, St Johns Ambulance brigade, and scouts from nearby high schools will be present during the festivals to provide support to devotees and regulate devotee movements, temple adminstrators raised concerns on the co-operation the volunteer groups will receive from the Sri Lanka security forces, temple sources said.

Historians say that the history of the Nallur temple is closely intertwined with the history of Jaffna. Prof.Gunrarasa of Jaffna University in his book on the Temple says that the Temple was originally constructed in a place called Kurukal Valavu in A.D 948. The temple was destroyed in AD 1450 during the invasion of the Sinhalese King Shenpakaperumal (Sapumal Kumaraya).

The same king resurrected the temple and the environments in Muthiraichanthai in 1467. The temple was again destroyed at its foundation by Portugese commander Philip De Olivereira in 1621. The Dutch rebuilt a Christian Church at the same premises.

In 1734 Krishnaiyar Suppier established a smaller shrine in Muthiraichanthi in rememberance of the destroyed Kandaswami temple.

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