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Veyil Ugantha Pillaiyar Temple (Tamil: வெயில் உகந்த பிள்ளையார் கோவில்; Sinhala: වෙයිල් උගන්ත පිල්ලයාර් කෝවිල) is a Hindu shrine situated in Nallur in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka.
History
According to Yalpana Vaipava Malai, the Chola prince Vijaya Kulangai (or Kulang-kay-ariyan or Singka-ariyan) who is said to be the first ruler of the Arya Chakravarti dynasty developed Nallur in Jaffna as his capital city in the 13th century (Arumugam, 1991; Britto, 1879). Expecting to receive divine protection for his city, Kulangai erected temples for deities in the four directions of it (Arumugam, 1991). As the belief of many, the Veyil Ugantha Pillaiyar temple is the one that was erected in the eastern approach to the city (Arumugam, 1991).
As the destiny of other Hindu temples in Jaffna, this temple is believed to have been destroyed by the Portuguese when the Jaffna fell into their hands in 1621 (Arumugam, 1991). The present temple at the site is a recent structure built for the worship of Vinayaka Murthi (Arumugam, 1991).
As the destiny of other Hindu temples in Jaffna, this temple is believed to have been destroyed by the Portuguese when the Jaffna fell into their hands in 1621 (Arumugam, 1991). The present temple at the site is a recent structure built for the worship of Vinayaka Murthi (Arumugam, 1991).
See also
References
1) Arumugam, S., 1991. More Hindu temples of Sri Lanka. London. p.3.
2) Britto, C., 1879. The Yalpana-Vaipava-Malai or The history of the
Kingdom of Jaffna: Translated from the Tamil, with an appendix and a
glossary by C. Britto. Colombo. p.14.
Location Map
This page was last updated on 18 November 2022
