Pattini Devale in Kandy – මහනුවර පත්තිනි දේවාලය

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The “Pattini Devale” dedicated to goddess Pattini is situated to the west of the “Natha devale”. In the past, the two devales were separated by a cross-road called “Et Vidiya” or the Elephant Street which is no more. The history of the devale is not known. That it is at least four centuries old, there is no doubt, for Robert Knox makes references to the perahera of Pattini Devale during the period of king Rajasinghe II (1635 – 1687)

Pattini, the goddess of chastity was and still is the most popular deity amongst the peasantry of Sri Lanka. Though a goddess of South Indian origin, she became more popular in this country. Her virtues are extolled in a Tamil epic called Cilappadikaram written in the 2nd century and in a number of Sinhalese poetical works written during the 18th and 19th centuries. According to the Tamil epic, one of the earliest known deistic shrines in Sri Lanka was built by King Gajabahu in the 2nd century A.D. enshrining the golden anklet of this goddess. There are a large number of shrines dedicated to her scattered all over the country. Next to Navagamuva Pattini Devale in the Colombo District, the most popular shrine is the one at Kandy.

Pattini is beneficial to the people in many ways. She is associated with the cure of infectious diseases and children’s diseases and is also propitiated in times of drought and consequent famine.

According to folklore the statue of Pattini at this devalaya was brought from the Malagammana Pattini Devalaya. Even today the statues at Malagammana Devalaya and the Kandy looks similar. If the above folklore is true, this devalaya maybe going back to 16th century (Abeyawardhana,2004).

The devale devoted to her in Kandy is a simple, small rectangular building on the usual stone platform. The shrine is at the south end like that of “ Natha“, and unlike the one at “Maha Devale“ which is on the north end, and the “Kataragama Devale“ in the west end. It consists of four compartments. Kandyan roof adorns this simple but beautiful devale.

References

1. Seneviratna, A., 1983. Kandy: an Illustrated Survey of Ancient Monuments With Historical, Archaeological and Literary Descriptions Including Maps of the City and Its Suburbs. Colombo: Central Cultural Fund, Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
2. Abeyawardhana, H. A. P. (2004) Heritage of Kandurata: Major Natural, Cultural, and Historic Sites. Kandy: Kandurata Development Bank, in association with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

Also See

• Ancient Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
• Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity

• Kandy – The Last Kingdom of Sinhale

Map of Kandy Pattini Devale

Traveling Directions to Kandy Pattini Devale

Kandy can be reached from Colombo on the old Colombo – Kandy road (option 1) which is scenic but heavy in traffic specially on Fridays and Sundays. However the new Central Expressway (option 2) has opened up a new route which is longer but less cumbersome.