Koneswaram
temple of Trincomalee or Thirukonamalai Konesar
Temple – The Temple of the Thousand Pillars and Dakshina-Then
Kailasam is a classical-medieval Hindu temple complex in Trincomalee, a
Hindu religious pilgrimage centre in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Built
significantly during the reign of the early Cholas and the Five Dravidians of
the Early Pandyan Kingdom atop Konesar Malai, a promontory overlooking Trincomalee
District, Gokarna bay and the Indian Ocean, its Pallava, Chola, Pandyan and
Jaffna design reflect a continual Tamil Saivite influence in the Vannimai
region from the classical period. The monument contains its main shrine to Shiva
in the form Kona-Eiswara, shortened to Konesar and is a major place
for Hindu pilgrimage, labelled the "Rome of the Gentiles/Pagans of the
Orient". Connected at the mouth of the Mahavilli Ganga River to the
footprint of Shiva at Sivan Oli Padam Malai at the river’s source, the temple
symbolically crowns the flow of the Ganges River from Shiva’s head of Mount
Kailash to his feet.
Developed from
205 BC, the original kovil combined key features to form its basic Dravidian
temple plan, such as ii Cholan. Regarded as the greatest building of its age for its architecture, elaborate sculptural bas-relief ornamentation adorned a black granite megalith while its multiple gold plated gopuram towers were expanded in the medieval period. One of three major Hindu shrines on the promontory with a colossal gopuram tower, it stood distinctly on the cape’s highest eminence. The journey for pilgrims in the town begins at the opening of Konesar Road and follows a path through courtyard shrines of the compound to the deities Bhadrakali, Ganesh, Vishnu Thirumal, Surya, Raavana, Ambal-Shakti, Murukan and Shiva who presides at the promontory’s height. The annual Koneswaram Temple Their Thiruvilah festival involves the Bhadrakali temple of Trincomalee, the Pavanasam Theertham at the preserved Papanasuchunai holy well and the proximal Back Bay Sea (Theertham Karatkarai) surrounding Konesar Malai.
Koneswaram has many strong historical associations. The shrine is described in the Vayu Purana, the Konesar Kalvettu and Tevaram hymns by Sambandhar and Sundarar as a Paadal Petra Sthalam along with its west coast counterpart Ketheeswaram temple, Mannar, it is the birthplace of Patanjali, the compiler of the Yoga Sutras and was praised for its tradition by Arunagirinathar upon his visit. The Dakshina Kailasa Puranam and Manmiam works note it as Dakshina/Then Kailasam (Mount Kailash of the South) for its longitudinal position and pre-eminence, it lies directly east of Kudiramalai west coast Hindu port town, while it is the easternmost shrine of the five ancient Iswarams of Shiva on the island. Mentioned as a widely popular bay temple of the island in the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Yalpana Vaipava Malai, the Mattakallappu Manmiam confirms its sacred status for all Hindus. Kachiyappa Sivachariar’s Kanda Puranam compares the temple to Thillai Chidambaram Temple and Mount Kailash in Saivite esteem. Konesar Malai may have been the site where Yoga originated; some scholars have suggested that the worship of the almighty god Eiswara on the promontory is the most ancient form of worship existing.ts thousand pillared hall – “Aayiram Kaal
Mandapam” – and the Jagati expanded by King Elara Manu Needh
