Veeramakali Amman Kovil is a Hindu shrine situated in Nallur in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka. It is dedicated to Goddess Kali Amman, one of the most venerated deities in the Hindu pantheon.
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 (Britto, 1879). Expecting to receive divine protection for his city, Kulangai erected temples for deities in the four directions of it (Kandiah, 2014). As the belief of many, the Veeramakali temple is one that was erected in the Western approach to the city (Kandiah, 2014; Pushparatnam, 2014).
Sankili, also known as Segarajasekaran, was a ruler in Jaffna from 1519 to 1565. At a time when he was pressured by the Portuguese who arrived in Sri Lanka at the beginning of the 16th century, there came to his aid a Sinhala general named Veediya Bandara (Kandiah, 2014). Both soon agreed to act against the Portuguese and they gathered in front of the Veeramakali Amman temple to swear allegiance (Kandiah, 2014). However, an explosion occurred at a neighbouring ammunition store causing a commotion in which Veediya Bandara was killed (Kandiah, 2014). It is said that Sankili who repented of this incident built the Poothavarayar Temple at Nallur in memory of Veediya Bandara (Kandiah, 2014).
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 (Kandiah, 2014). The temple was re-erected with the revival of Hinduism on the island that took place in the early 19th century (Kandiah, 2014). However, evidence of the old Veeramakali Amman temple has not been discovered so far (Pushparatnam, 2014).
See Also
#) Veyil Ugantha Pillaiyar Temple
#) Saddanathar Sivan Kovil
References
1) 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.
2) Kandiah, T, 2014. Ancient Hindu temples of Sri Lanka. pp.57-59.
3) Pushparatnam, P., 2014. Tourism and monuments of archaeological heritage in Northern Sri Lanka. Author Publication. ISBN: 978-955-0811-08-3. p.106.
