Location: Munneswaram village, Sri Lanka
Main Deity: Lord Shiva
Established By: Pattuva Chiefs
Entry Fees: Free
Parking Charges: Free
Nearest Major Cities: Colombo which is 82.7km away.
Nearest Railway Station: Chilaw Railway station is the nearest railway station
Temple Timing: 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Morning Puja: 5:30 a.m.
Afternoon Mahapuja: 12 noon
Night Puja: 8 a.m.
Address: Maha Devalayam, Wariyapola Road, Chilaw 61000, Sri Lanka
Munneswaram Temple is a revered temple with legend relating to the popular Indian epic Ramayana and the warrior and king of that epic Ramayan. The temple complex is located in the Puttalam District of Munneswaram. This Hindu temple complex is believed to be in existence since ancient times almost 1000 CE. According to legends, among the five first or ancient Pancha Ishwarams, this one is dedicated to Lord Shiva in that region.
The awe-inspiring temple complex has got five temples out of which the central or the main complex is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is very famous among the various locals and tourists alike. The other four temples which stand there proudly are dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Goddess Kali, Ayyanayake and the last one is dedicated to Buddhism.
The temple is looked after in parts. The minority Hindu Tamils living there administer the three Hindu temples excluding the Buddhist and the Ayyanayake temple.
One of the major festivals which are celebrated here is Shivratri in remembrance of Lord Shiva, the main deity there. The temple also has its own festival which both the Hindus and Buddhists take part actively called the Munneswaram festival.
History says the Shiv temple that you see in all its glory now was once a small shrine only dedicated to the village guardian deity Munisvaram. With time it got transformed into one of the major temples in Sri Lanka.
The temple is said to have been erected during the 10th century under the leadership of the Pattuva Chiefs and had started issuing coins from the 11th century. It is said that the people during those days from different kingdoms like Chola and the Jaffna Kingdom used to visit the temple and offer their prayers. They used to do that with the help of ferry transport and it continued till the 14th century.
Situated in the Munneswaram village which was the centre of spiritualism and religion, still is, the temple and its different shrines depict a history which is ancient yet gives you an idea about religion at those times.
According to history, Shiva temple is attested in local literature. The Kali temple is associated with sorcery and cursing which was very much prevalent during those days. The other temples were looked after by the families who were Buddhist and minor Hindus.
The Ganesh temple had been a new addition to the temple premises built in the 19th century by artisans who had arrived from South India. The temple or the central shrine of Lord Shiva had been reconstructed and destroyed many times after it was built originally.
The first reconstruction which has been scriptures was done by the grant made by Parakrakrama Bahu VI of the Kotte Kingdom. The first destruction that this temple saw was by the Portuguese when they had arrived in Sri Lanka in the year 1505.
They had then destroyed a number of Hindu and Buddhist temples including the Munneswaram temple. They had then used the ground as the base of the Roman Catholic Church. The king Rajasinghe of Sitawaka Kingdom had then built or reconstructed the temple again. He usually harassed the Portuguese during his reign and the area used to go through continuous conflict.
Being an ancient place of worship, this place has a great architectural tradition that showcases the various cultural styles and ideas of those days. The intricate sculptures and the styles mostly depict the style of the Chola rulers of Thanjavur which is in South India.
As mentioned earlier, the artisans from South India had arrived there to build the magnificent temple with years of perfection. The edifice of Sri Munneswaram is surrounded by the gopurams which creates a splendour colourful sight. The water lilies in the vast pond and the rice fields which are located in the east and west side provide a panoramic view.
Here, Lord Shiva is not a statue but is shown in the form of Shiv Linga and he stands beside Annai Vadivazhagi who is regarded as the giver of immortality and knowledge and also eternal bliss. Inside the temple of Lord Shiva, there are other shrines to present inside it belonging to the nine planets, the Saivite Nayanmar saints who were sixty-three in number and also other aspects of Ganesha, Amman and Shiva.
Mahashivratri is celebrated there with grandeur and mostly Hindus attend it. In fact, there is another important function called annual Munneswaram function and is a 28-day festival. Everyone from every religion attends this function.
The best time to visit Munneswaram temple would be between December to March and also between July to September. The weather would be pleasant and it would be the perfect time to visit Sri Lanka and the tourist attractions there.
How to Reach Munneswaram Temple?There are a number of flights available from different parts of the world to Sri Lanka. Every day there are a number of international and domestic flights that carry passengers to and fro.
From Colombo, the distance to Munneswaram Temple is approximately 1 hour. Therefore you could easily hire a car or drive yourself and cover the distance in just one day.
The nearest railway station is the 6 minutes away and is called the Chilaw Railway Station.
Temple timings in the morning are from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The temple surrounding is very serene and has an old history which oozes out from its very walls. Many legends and history is elated and associated with this temple and is one of the most famous temples there. Another festival that is celebrated here is the Navaratri which is a nine-day long festival.
You could contact the temple directly by ringing at (+94)322224833. This temple gives you an aura of sophisticated culture and the religious practises and ideas that were followed by the people during the ancient times.
