Koṇeśvaram, Trincomalee

Śiva on the cliff by the sea · Trincomalee, Sri Lanka

Koṇeśvaram stands on Swami Rock, a cliff high above the Indian Ocean at Trincomalee. It is one of the Pāḍal Peṟṟa Sthalams, the Śiva temples praised in the Tamil Tevāram hymns, and is among the most important Hindu shrines of Sri Lanka.

The ancient temple was destroyed by Portuguese colonists in the 17th century, and parts of it were later found in the sea. A new temple was built on the site in the 20th century. The annual temple festival and Mahāśivarātri draw pilgrims. Visitors also watch for whales and dolphins from the cliff.

Tradition says Rāvaṇa, a great devotee of Śiva, worshipped here, and that a cleft in the rock, called Rāvaṇa’s cleft, was made by his sword. Another tradition says his mother worshipped Śiva at this shrine and he brought her a liṅga here.

Sri Lanka · Śiva · Tevāram hymns · Mahāśivarātri

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