Nallur Kandaswamy Temple is one of the most prominent sites of worship in the city of Jaffna. Countless numbers of Hindus visit this sacred site throughout the year to pay homage to the presiding deity of Lord Murugan or Kataragama Deviyo.
The original Kandaswamy Temple is believed to have been established back in 948 AD. The original location of the Nallur Kandaswamy Temple is today occupied by the churches that were built by the Portuguese. The present temple was built in the year 1734 AD. This temple was built using bricks and stones. There was a cadjan roof with ‘Vel’ enshrined in the middle. Significant improvements were made to the temple after the year 1890. The first bell tower, the main sanctum as well as the first enclosing wall were built during this period by Arumuga Maapaana Mudaliyar.
Nallur Kandaswamy Temple has an annual festival which is celebrated for 21 days. The festival begins with the hoisting of the Holy flag. Special poojas are conducted in the temple during the festival. A heavy chariot, upon which a statue of God Shanmugar is placed, is paraded around the streets of the temple. The chariot is pulled by thousands of devotees. The old and the young, rich and the poor, weak and the strong get together to pull the chariot joyfully displaying their zeal and fervour to the god they worship. It certainly is a remarkable site to behold!
You can get in touch with Green Holiday Centre if you desire to enjoy a tour to this holy site of worship. It is one of the must visit destinations in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.
