Munneswaram Kovil in Chillaw | AmazingLanka.com

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Munneswaram Kovil, located in Chilaw, Sri Lanka, is one of the island’s most popular and ancient Hindu temples, with a history dating back over a thousand years. Dedicated primarily to Lord Siva, under the name Muniya Iswara or Iswara, the temple is a popular pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists.

The Munneswaram Kovil dates back to at least 1000 CE, though myths and legends associate its origins with the famous Indian epic Ramayana and its heroic king, Rama. The temple complex consists of five shrines, with the Sivan Kovil at its centre. Among these, the Sivan Kovil and Badra Kali Kovil are the most prominent, widely recognized, and frequently visited (Bastin, 2002, p. 2). Additionally, the complex features two more temples dedicated to Lord Ganesha and Aiyanar, along with a Sinhalese place of worship (Pushparamaya).

Except for the Aiyanar Devale (Aiyanayaka Devalaya in Sinhala) and Pushparamaya, all other temples are managed by Tamil priests, who inherit their roles through generations. The Aiyanar Devale has traditionally been administered by Sinhala Kapuralas and their descendants (Sarma, 2007, pp. 9–10). Additionally, a small shrine dedicated to Suniyam Deviyo, located near an ancient Bo tree, is overseen by a Sinhala Kapurala (Bastin, 2002, p. 4).

The main festival at Munneswaram Kovil is held over 18 days in July or August, attracting Hindus, Buddhists, and even some Christians. Notably, Bastin (2002, p. 2) highlights that during the 1985 and 1986 festivals, the participation of Sinhala Buddhists exceeded their national representation of 74% (as recorded in the 1981 census), despite the religious tensions of that time.

Myths and Legends of Munneswaram Kovil

Legends of Munneswaram is connected to the Indian Epic Ramayana through a number of ways based on whom you speak to.

According to Udugama (1983, p. 67), Ramayana contains the earliest reference to Lanka and mentions that Ravana, king of the Yakka Tribe, was an accomplished musician and an ardent follower of Siva. He is said to have sung the praises of this God to the accompaniment of music, and Munneswaram, we are told, was the place of his worship.

Sarma (2007, p. 12), in his book History of Munneswaram Temple, cites chapters 15 and 16 of The Dakshinakailasa Mahatmiya, a Sanskrit text that praises the temples of Sri Lanka and provides a detailed account of the Munneswaram Temple.

“Sri Rama, after having vanquished the mighty Ravana, started his return journey towards Ayodhya his capital by “Pushpaka Vimaana,” the air-chariot, accompanied by Sita, Lakshmana, Vibhishana and several others. The “Brahmahathi Dhosha” which arose as a result of Ravana Samhara (killing of Ravana) assumed the form of a dark shadow following him.

When the air chariot was passing over the location of Munneswara Kshethra (temple), Rama felt that the “Brahmahathi Dhosha” was leaving. Rama was astonished by this strange feeling, which he realized was due to some unknown divine reasons. Rama and others descended onto the ground. All had ablutions at the sacred Siva Theertham (holy waters) which had the efficacy of conferring supreme bliss, absolving one of all sins and securing one from the power of evil. Rama, on the sacred Wednesday synchronous with the second day of the fortnight of the waxing moon in June, enshrined the Swarna Linga at Munneswaram and consecrated it with appropriate religious rituals. He set at naught the evil influence of “Brahmahathi Dhosha” and proceeded on his journey towards Ayodhya.”

Bastin (2002, p. 45), based on his research thesis writes “The Munnesvaram origin myth describes Rama returning victorious to India flying on his winged mount Garuda. Passing over the uninhabited land, Rama espies a suitable place to rest. After landing, Rama decides that the site is appropriate for making worship to Siva, so he sends Hanuman back to India to fetch a stone Siva linga image for this purpose. Prone to distraction, Hanuman takes a long time to return, and eventually, Rama gives up on him and performs worship to a linga he fashions out of the sand. Before the rite is over, however, Hanuman at last appears with the stone. Enraged by Hanuman’s lateness and now by his interruption, Rama seizes the stone and hurls it away, back where it came from and finishes his worship to the sand linga. Once this is over, the entourage continues its journey back to India, Rama having left behind the remains of his worship, and with that the materialised presence of the god Siva. This forms the foundation of a temple that is subsequently built and becomes renowned throughout the world.”

Another legend associated with Munneswaram Temple tells of a king afflicted with an incurable skin disease. The identity of this king remains uncertain, with some accounts naming King Kotukollan (dates unknown), King Bhuvenakabahu (one of the seven rulers with this name between 1272 and 1551), or Rajasinghe II (1635–1687) of the Kandyan Kingdom (Bastin, 2002, p. 47).

According to the legend, while ruling from his capital, the king suffered from a persistent skin ailment that no court physician could cure. Desperate for relief, he heard of a powerful goddess temple located at the far reaches of his kingdom. Determined to seek a cure, he secretly left his capital one night and traveled to Munneswaram, where only the ruins of the temple remained at the time.

Upon reaching the site, he offered puja to the goddess within the ruins and bathed in the nearby temple tank. Miraculously, his skin disease disappeared immediately. Grateful for his healing, the king returned to his capital and ordered the restoration and reconstruction of the temple. Additionally, he established villages that would serve as temple clients, contributing to the revival and expansion of modern Munneswaram (Bastin, 2002, p. 48).

Legends of Kali

A fascinating legend about Kali is widely told among Sinhala Buddhists, who are the primary devotees of the Badra Kali Kovil in Munneswaram. Kali holds significance in Munneswaram as it is believed to be the first place she entered the island and was transformed within the Sinhala Buddhist pantheon.

As per Bastin (2002, p. 53), according to the legend, Kali, a fearsome demoness, arrived from India on a stone raft and landed on Chilaw Beach, famished and craving flesh and blood. Upon arrival, she saw the Munneswaram Goddess, the deity Pattini, and desired to kill and consume her. However, she was unable to reach Pattini, who remained protected. Frustrated, Kali turned her fury towards the local villages, destroying homes and devouring their inhabitants.

Pattini swiftly intervened, captured Kali, and subdued her, transforming her into her servant. Though restrained, Kali retained her ferocious nature and was given a temple beside her mistress Pattini. While she abandoned human flesh and blood, she continued to crave blood, which she now consumes through animal sacrifices.

Pattini permitted this practice but imposed a strict condition—any violence she might direct against human beings be righteous violence, punishing wrongdoers and preventing injustice. This belief became the foundation for the annual large-scale animal sacrifices that take place during the festival period.

History of Koneshwaram Kovil

Slab Inscription of King King Parakramabahu VI in 1450 CE

Slab Inscription at Munneswaram Kovil by King Parakramabahu VI in 1450 CE recording his donations to the Kovil

The earliest known historical record of Munneswaram is a slab inscription from the reign of King Parakramabahu VI of the Kotte Kingdom (1412–1467 CE). In the 38th year of his rule, after his consecration, the king undertook renovations of the kovil, restoring it and ensuring its upkeep. He also donated land to support the kovil and its priests and provided resources for the daily pujas. His decree, detailing these contributions, was engraved in stone and placed at the kovil, where it remains affixed to the main Siva Kovil building today.

The inscription is bilingual and drafted in Tamil and Sanskrit. The main portion, which details the grant, is in Tamil, while the introductory and concluding sections are in Sanskrit. All Sanskrit passages are written in the Grantha script. The epigraph begins with a customary description of the king’s lineage, titles, and epithets, and ends with a Sanskrit sloka. (Pathmanathan, 1973)

Fowler (1897) published the content of this inscription as below ;

“Let happiness be ! On the tenth day of the waxing moon in October, in the thirty-eighth year of his reign, His Majesty Sri Parakrama Baku, descendant of the illustrious family of Sri Sangabodhi, worshipper of the lotus-feet of Sri Samantapatra (Buddha), of Solar race, king of kings, serpent to the royal and mercantile races, and emperor of the three worlds, invited to the Jayawardhana Kottaf the Nampimar (priests) who officiate before the god of Monnisvaram, and addressing himself to the Brahmin Pandit, who is a proficient in all sciences amongst them, inquired into the circumstances of that temple and bestowed the lands which formerly belonged to the priests, lying within the district of Monnisvaram in the holy name, and as the property of the god. As pusai lands he granted to the priests 22 amanams of field at Ilippedeniya, and 30 amanams in Kottapitiya to Mutanmai (chief priests), and 8 amanams of field in Tittakkadai, with the inhabited places and forests appertaining to this. In addition to the offering of 3 nalis of rice, he granted 30 fanams to the priests per mensem and 11 fanams to each of the Mutanmais (chief priests) for the daily offerings of vegetable curries, greens, and perfumes, to be enjoyed from generation to generation while the sun and moon exist, as Sarvamaniyam (free gift) to the god of Monnisvaram, which is hereby decreed to be irrevocable. Those who cause any damage to the land will be guilty of Panchamahapatakam (the five great sins), while those who take an interest in it will attain heavenly
bliss.”

Here follows a sloka, the translation of which is :

” To this effect this was caused to be inscribed by Parakraman through the grace of Monnisvarar, who is an ocean of wisdom in Saivaism and lord of all the different classes of gods.”

In 1971, Veluppillai revisited the inscription, re-reading it and subsequently publishing a similar translation in his work, Ceylon Tamil inscriptions, volume I.

Copper Plate Inscription of King Parakramabahu IX

In 1517 CE King Parakrama Bahu IX (1509 – 1528 CE), known by the title Kalikala Sarvanja Panditha, visited the Munneswaram Kovil seeking a cure for an illness caused by lightning. After recovering through worship of Lord Vishnu, he granted villages as recorded in copper plate inscriptions, defining their boundaries as Mala Ela to the east, three boundary stones in Mathambai to the south, Manamanthodda canal to the west, and the canal flowing into Munneswaram to the north (Kurakkal, 2014, p. 5).

Munneswaram during the Portuguese Era

The Portuguese arrived on the island in 1505 and gradually took control of the coastal regions. In 1576, a Portuguese force of 450 soldiers, accompanied by 700 lascarins (local recruits), landed in Chilaw, plundering and destroying both the town and Munneswaram Kovil. The temple was likely rebuilt by devotees, as Portuguese records indicate that it was demolished again in the year 1600 CE (Pieris, 1913/1992, pp. 205, 352).

Until 1605, the income from lands belonging to Munneswaram was under the control of the Franciscans. After converting to Catholicism, King Dharmapala granted them all the temple land revenues in either 1563 or 1573, with this grant reaffirmed in 1591. However, in 1605, Dom Jerónimo de Azevedo took 62 villages previously belonging to Munneswaram Kovil from the Franciscans and transferred them to the Jesuit priests for their maintenance and the support of their school in Colombo (Abeysinghe, 1966, pp. 218–222).

In the 1750s, upon learning of the temple’s destruction by the Portuguese, King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe (1747–1781) of the Kandyan Kingdom invited sculptors from South India to reconstruct the kovil and performed the consecration ceremony in the year1753 CE. (Sarma, 2007. p 15).

Large Scale Ritualistic Animal Sacrifices

In recent years, Munneswaram Kovil has made headlines due to the large-scale animal sacrifices that take place during its annual festival. Hundreds of goats and thousands of fowl are traditionally offered as sacrifices, particularly during the Aadi Amavasai Festival, which is dedicated to Goddess Kali. Devotees believe that these offerings bring blessings, remove obstacles, and fulfil vows made to the deity.

However, this practice has sparked controversy, drawing criticism from animal rights activists, Buddhist and Christian communities, and even some Hindu groups who advocate for non-violent forms of worship. Over the years, there have been growing calls for a ban on animal sacrifices at the temple, with authorities occasionally intervening to restrict or regulate the practice.

Despite the debate, many devotees continue to uphold the tradition, seeing it as an integral part of their religious beliefs.

References

Abeysinghe, T. (1966). Portuguese Rule in Ceylon (1st ed.). Lake House Investments Ltd.
Bastin, R. (2002). The Domain of Constant Excess: Plural Worship at the Munnesvaram Temples in Sri Lanka. Berghahn Books.
Fowler, G. M. (1897). Translation of an Inscription at the Temple at Monnisvaram. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, X(34), 118–119.
Kurakkal, M. S. (2014). The Sacred History of Sri Munneswara (S. Padmanaban, Ed.). Sri Munneswaram Devasthanam.
Pathmanathan, S. (1973). The Munnesvaram Tamil Inscription of Paakramabahu VI. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, New Series 18, 54–69.
Pieris, P. E. (1992). Ceylon, the Portuguese Era : Being a History of the Island for the Period, 1505-1658 (2nd ed., Vols. 1–2). Thisara Prakashakayo. (Original work published 1913)
Sarma, B. S. (2007). History of Munneswaram Temple. Sri Sankar Publications.
Udugama, S. (1983). Sri Lanka from Legend and History. Niloo Bhatt.
Veluppillai, A. (1971). Ceylon Tamil inscriptions (1st ed., Vols. 1–2). Royal Printers.

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