Nainativu Nagapooshani Amman Temple

Nagapooshani Amman Temple
Nagapooshani Amman Temple Location in Sri Lanka
Name
Other names	Nainai Nagapooshani Amman Temple Bhuvaneswari Shakti Peetham
Proper name	Manidweepam / Manipallavam
Devanagari	श्री मणिद्वीप नाकापूसानी अम्मान क्षेत्रं
Tamil	ஸ்ரீ மணிபல்லவ நாகபூசணி அம்மன் கோயில்
Geography
Coordinates	9°37′8.6″N 79°46′27.4″E / 9.619056°N 79.774278°E / 9.619056; 79.774278Coordinates: 9°37′8.6″N 79°46′27.4″E / 9.619056°N 79.774278°E / 9.619056; 79.774278
Country	Sri Lanka
Province	Northern
District	Theevakam, Jaffna
Location	Nainativu
Culture
Primary deity	Sri Nagapooshani (Bhuvaneswari) Amman
Consort	Sri Nayinaar Swami
Festival deity	Sri Swarna Nagapooshani Amman
Festival consort	Sri Kailasa-Naayinaar Swami
Temple tank	Kailasa-roopa Pushkarani Amrutha Gangadharani Theertham
Poets	Adi Shankaracharya
Important festivals	Mahostavam (Thiruvizha), Navaratri, Shivaratri, Aadi Pooram
Architecture
Architectural styles	Dravidian architecture
Inscriptions	Parâkramabâhu I
History and governance
Date built	Unknown
Creator	Lord Indra

Nainativu Nagapooshani Amman Temple (Tamil: நயினாதீவு நாகபூசணி அம்மன் கோயில்) is an ancient and historic Hindu temple located amidst the Palk Strait on the island of Nainativu, Sri Lanka. It is dedicated to Parvati who is known as Nagapooshani or Bhuvaneswari and her consort, Shiva who is named here as Nayinaar. The temple's fame is accredited to Adi Shankaracharya, a 9th-century Hindu philosopher, for identifying it as one of the prominent 64 Shakti Peethams in Shakti Peetha Stotram and its mention in the Brahmanda Purana. The temple complex houses four gopurams (gateway towers) ranging from 20–25 feet in height, to the tallest being the eastern Raja Raja Gopuram soaring at 108 feet high. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, such as Manimekalai and Kundalakesi. The present structure was built during 1720 to 1790 after the ancient structure was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1620. The temple attracts around 1000 visitors a day, and approximately 5000 visitors during festivals. The annual 16-day Mahostavam (Thiruvizha) festival celebrated during the Tamil month of Aani (June/July) - attracts over 100,000 pilgrims. There is an estimated 10,000 sculptures in this newly renovated temple.

The Nagapooshani Amman Temple is believed to be originally established by Lord Indra while seeking alleviation from the curse of Gautama Maharishi. The Sanskrit epic Mahabharata records that Lord Indra was overcome by his sexual desires for Ahalya, the wife of Gautama Maharishi. Indra disguised himself as the saint and proceeded to seduce and make love to Ahalya. When the saint came to know, he cursed Indra to have a thousand marks resembling the yoni (female reproductive organ) all over his body. Indra was ridiculed and referred to as Sa-yoni. Unable to face the humiliation, he went into exile to the island of Manidweepa (Nainativu). There, he is believed to have created, consecrated and worshipped the moolasthana murti of the Goddess to atone for his sins. The Queen of the Universe, Bhuvaneswari Amman, satisfied with Indra's utmost devotion, repentance and remorse appeared before him and transformed they yonis on his body into eyes. She then took on the name of "Indrakshi" (Indra Eyed). Another legend states that, many centuries later, a cobra (Nagam) was swimming across the sea towards Nainativu from the nearby island of Puliyantivu with a lotus flower in its mouth, for the worship of Bhuvaneswari Amman (who had already been consecrated by Indra). An eagle (Garuda) spotted the cobra and attempted to attack it and kill it. Fearing harm from the eagle, the cobra wound itself around a rock (referred to in Tamil as; Paambu Sutriya Kal “the Rock around which the Snake wound itself”) in the sea about half a kilometer from the Nainativu coast, and the eagle stood on another rock (Garudan Kal “the Rock of the Eagle”) some distance away. A merchant by the name of Maanikan from the Chola kingdom; who was himself a devotee of Sri Bhuvaneswari Amman, was sailing across the Palk Strait to trade with the ancient Naka Nadu noticed the eagle and the cobra perched upon said rocks. He pleaded with the eagle to let the cobra go on its way without any harm. The eagle agreed with one condition that the merchant should construct a beautiful temple for Sri Bhuvaneswari Amman on the island of Nainativu and that he shall propagate her worship in the form of Sri Nagapooshani Amman for universal peace, prosperity and humanity. He agreed and built a beautiful temple accordingly. The eagle took three dips into the ocean to atone for its sins against the Nagas in the Mahabharata, and hence, the Garuda and Naga resolved their longstanding feuds.