Шри-Ланкадағы Наллур Кандасвами Ковил ғибадатханасы

Hindu temple in Nallur, Sri Lanka

The Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil ( ) is a Hindu temple, located in Nallur, Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The presiding deity is Murugan (Kartikeya) in the form of the divine spear vel in the sanctum, the primary shrine, and in other forms, namely, Shanmugar, Muthukumaraswami, Valli Kanthar with consorts Valli and Deivayanai, and Dandayuddhapani, sans consorts in secondary shrines in the temple.

The original, Kandaswamy Temple was founded in 948 ad. According to the Yalpana Vaipava Malai, the temple was developed at the site in the 15th century by Parakramabahu VI King of Kotte. Sapumal Kumaraya (also known as Chempaha Perumal in Tamil), who ruled the Jaffna kingdom on behalf of the Kotte kingdom is credited with building the third Nallur Kandaswamy temple. Nallur served as the capital of the Jaffna kings, with the royal palace situated very close to the temple. Nallur was built with four entrances with gates. Cankilian Thoppu, the facade of the palace of King Cankili II, can still be found in Nallur. The third temple was destroyed by the Portuguese Catholic colonial Filipe de Oliveira in 1624 AD. The original kovil was located where St. James' Church, Nallur is located today. Part of the original Shivalingam of the Nallur Kandaswamy Temple was located in the Vicarage till 1995 when it was destroyed during the recapture of Jaffna by Sri Lanka armed forces and the platform where the shiva lingam was mounted on can still be seen in the hallway of the vicarage.

The temple is a socially important institution for the Sri Lankan Tamils Tamil identity of the north Sri Lanka. In the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora, many temples have been built in Europe and North America using the same name as Tamil cultural memory.

On 21 August 2011, the temple unveiled its new Nine storey Raja Gopuram, Named 'Shanmuha Raja Gopuram' with an entrance called ' Swarna Vaasal' ( The Golden Entrance ) at 7:00 am local time. Another New Raja Gopuram was unveiled on 4 September 2015 at 07 a. m. local time, creating a new Northern entrance to the temple complex. It is known as 'Gubera Raja Gopuram', and the entrance is named 'Kubera Vaasal'. This tower slightly overpowers the Southern tower and to date recorded as the biggest Gopuram on the Island. 'Guberan' is the deity for wealth and he protects the Northern direction. It is believed by the local people that this Gopuram will attract more wealth to the people of the Jaffna peninsula.

The temple hosts the annual festival which begins with the hoisting of the Holy flag – the Kodiyetram. The cloth for hoisting is ceremonially brought to the temple in a small chariot from a family belonging to the Sengunthar Kaikola Mudaliyar dynasty, for centuries. The festival is spread over a period of twenty five days during which various Yāgams Abishekams and special poojas are conducted. The major religious festivals people flock to witness are the Manjam, Thirukkarthikai, Kailasavahanam, Velvimanam, Thandayuthepani it's a being, Sapparam, Ther festival procession, Theertham – the water cutting festival, and Thirukalyanam – The holy wedding. The Ther Thiruvila (chariot festival) is the most popular of all events is very colorful and commences at 6.15 am. The glamorously dressed Murugan and his consorts are carried out on a silver throne called the simhasanam, an intricately carved masterpiece created by the 7th Custodian, Arumuga Maapaana Mudaliyar in the year 1900. The huge and heavy chariot carrying the statue of the deity Murugan and consorts is paraded along the streets of the temple.