Munneswaram Sivan Kovil

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Munneswaram temple also Muneswaram, Muniswaram or Munnicuvaram is a popular Hindu temple which is north of the capital Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is close to the coastal fishing town of Chilaw. It is dedicated to main deity in Saivism namely Lord Siva and is one of the five ancient Sivan temples around the island. Just like Kataragama it too has become primarily a Sinhalese Buddhist place of pilgrimage but unlike Kataragama, the temple still is maintained by local Hindus.

Origin theories
Like other ancient Siva temples across the island, this temple too many origin theories steeped in myth and mythology. The name itself indicates that the original deity was identified with Muniandi a regional Tamil deity who is popular amongst the least Sanskritized social groups of South India specifically Tamil nadu. The temple is associated with pearling and fishing town of Chilaw that has been historically populated by fisher groups such as Mukkuvar from South India. The temple is also closely associated with a nearby Kali shrine. The Kali shrine is a popular sorcery and cursing shrine associated with animal sacrifices and spirit possession amongst local Sinhalese and Tamils. All pointing to an upgrading of a local Muniandi cult shrine into a Munneswaran Siva temple at some point in its history.

Mentioned in local literature
Munneswaram temple was mentioned in the Kokila Sandesya in the time of popular King Parakrama Bahu VI of Kotte (1412-1467), when the bird messenger traveling from Matara to Jaffna passes the temple. The temple flourished during the reign of this king and his descendants up until 1528 ACE. He and his descendants gifted several villages and rice lands for its upkeep. Interestingly a sannas' or deeds to this effect was discovered sometime ago and its legality was upheld in the Chilaw courts.

Destruction by the Portuguese and reconstruction
The Portuguese after their arrival in Sri Lank in 1505 ACE began a campaign of forced conversion and destruction of many Buddhist and Hindu temples. They destroyed the temple completely in 1578 ACE, all except the basement and used the core of the building as a Roman Catholic chapel.

King Kirti Sri Rajasinha of the Kandyan Kingdom had the superstructure rebuilt in the 1750s. The Kalasam or Kotha on top is made of silver, a fine work of art and culture displaying the best of South Indian Hindu architecture. The temple was renovated again in 1875 by the efforts of Brahma Sri Cumaraswamy Kurukal. Improvements were effected again in 1919 and 1963 by public support from Hindus and Buddhists all over the island.

Hindus from a nearby the only Tamil village of Udappu have been instrumental in supporting the activities of the temple. It should be noted that most other fishing and agricultural villages historically associated with the temple no longer identify with Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu culture and have assimilated to be come Christian or Buddhist Sinhalese although these villagers still visit the temple complex in the age old traditions of their ancestors. (See main article Negambo Tamils)

Annual festival
The annual Munneswaram festival is an important part of the Temple calendar. It lasts for 27 days usually in the months of August and September. The festival begins with the hoisting of the Temple flag. This is followed by 13 days of internal devale peraheras (Sinhalese for Temple processions) conducted in the outer area of the big temple.

Devotees visit the Temple to attend the pujas and make their offerings. Booths are specially erected outside for the sale of food, drink, brassware, pottery, cloth and holy images. On the penultimate day of the festival there is a very special car procession, when the god's image is placed upon a huge wooden juggernaut and pulled around the temple by devotees.

On the next and final day of the festival, two large chariots gaily decked are drawn by the devotees to the Deduru-oya, a local river for the diya-kepima or water-cutting ceremony. Images of Siva and his consort Parvati take pride of position between the two chariots. The statue of Ganesha goes in front with that of Skanda locally identified with deity of Kataragama following him.

After the water cutting ceremony the procession goes back to the Temple along a decorated route through Chilaw town, accompanied by traditional Hindu Nadeswaram music. On the way back the procession passes two temples the Ayyanar or Ayyanayake (Sinhalese version of the deity) temple dedicated to a presiding deity over forests, fields and irrigation reservoirs, and the Kali temple.

See also
Hinduism in Sri Lanka