Veyil Ugantha Pillaiyar Temple
Photo credit: Google street view 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 …
