Kataragama temple (Sinhala: රුහුණු කතරගම දේවාලය, lit. 'Ruhuṇu Kataragama Dēvālaya', Tamil: கதிர்காமம் முருகன் கோயில், lit. 'Katirkāmam Murugan Kōvil') in Kataragama, Sri Lanka, is a temple complex dedicated to Buddhist guardian deity Kataragama deviyo and Hindu War God Murugan. It is one of the few religious sites in Sri Lanka that is venerated by the Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and the Vedda people.[3] For most of the past millennia, it was a jungle shrine very difficult to access; today it is accessible by an all-weather road. The shrines and the nearby Kiri Vehera are managed by Buddhists, the shrines dedicated to Teyvāṉai and Shiva are managed by Hindus and the mosque by Muslims.
The shrine has for centuries attracted Tamil Hindus from Sri Lanka and South India who undertook an arduous pilgrimage on foot. Since the latter half of the 20th century, the site has risen dramatically among Sinhalese Buddhists who today constitute majority of the visitors.[4]
The cult of Kataragama deviyo has become the most popular amongst the Sinhalese people. A number of legends and myths are associated with the deity and the location, differing by religion, ethnic affiliation and time. These legends are changing with the deity's burgeoning popularity with Buddhists, as the Buddhist ritual specialists and clergy try to accommodate the deity within Buddhist ideals of nontheism. With the change in devotees, the mode of worship and festivals has changed from that of Hindu orientation to one that accommodates Buddhist rituals and theology. It is difficult to reconstruct the factual history of the place and the reason for its popularity amongst Sri Lankans and Indians based on legends and available archeological and literary evidence alone, although the place seems to have a venerable history. The lack of clear historic records and resultant legends and myths fuel the conflict between Buddhists and Hindus as to the ownership and the mode of worship at Kataragama.[5]
The priests of the temple are known as Kapuralas and are believed to be descended from Vedda people. Veddas, too, have a claim on the temple, a nearby mountain peak and locality through a number of legends. There is a mosque and a few tombs of Muslim pious men buried nearby. The temple complex is also connected to other similar temples in Eastern Province dedicated to Murugan which are along the path of pilgrimage from Jaffna in the north to Kataragama in the south of the island; Arunagirinathar traversed this pilgrimage route in the 15th century.[6] The vicinity of the temple complex is used for secretive practices of sorcery and cursing peculiar to Sri Lanka (Source or reference to sorcery is missing). The entire temple complex was declared a holy place by the government of Sri Lanka in the 1950s; since then political leaders have contributed for its maintenance and upkeep.
^Cite error: The named reference P was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Peiris, Kamalika (31 July 2009). "Ancient and medieval Hindu temples in Sri Lanka". Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
^Younger 2001, p. 39
^Trainor, Kevin (2004). Buddhism: The Illustrated Guide. Oxford University Press. p. 123. ISBN 9780195173987.
worship. The town has the Kataragamatemple, a shrine dedicated to Skanda Kumara also known as Kataragama deviyo. Kataragama is located in the Monaragala...
An ancient temple dedicated to God Kataragama, known as Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Devalaya is situated in the South-Eastern town of Kataragama in Monaragala...
metallic plate and installing it at the sanctum sanctorum of the Kataragamatemple complex. Bogar is one of the earliest pilgrims to have traversed the...
is located very close to the Ruhuna Maha Kataragama Devalaya, an ancient temple which dedicated to Kataragama deviyo, a deity venerated by Buddhists, Hindus...
Kandaswami Temple, Jaffna". kataragama.org. Archived from the original on 6 March 2001. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nallur Kandaswamy temple. nallurkanthan...
Northern Province stop over at the Okanda Murugan temple on their Murugan Pada Yatra voyage to Kataragamatemple in the Southern part of the island. Okanda is...
as Kataragama deviyo , a guardian deity. Numerous Murugan temples exist throughout the island including Kataragamatemple, Nallur Kandaswamy temple and...
Uggal Aluthnuwara Kataragama Devalaya (Sinhala: උග්ගල් අළුත්නුවර කතරගම දේවාලය) is an ancient devalaya, situated in Uggal Aluthnuwara, Sri Lanka. It lies...
popular Murugan temples like the Nallur Kandaswamy temple, the Thirukkovil Temple, the Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple, the Kataragamatemple, and the Kilinochchi...
then through the park and Tissamaharama to the deity's holiest site, Kataragamatemple, Katirkamam in the South. The Ḥajj (Arabic: حَـجّ, main pilgrimage...
temples exist throughout the island including Kataragamatemple, Nallur Kandaswamy temple and Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple. Sri Subramanyar Temple at...
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nainativu. Adam's Peak Kataragamatemple Munneswaram temple Nallur (Jaffna) "Neṭun-tīvu, Puṅkuṭu-tīvu, Nayiṉā-tīvu, Eḻuvai-tīvu...
dance. The song was inspired by the practice of Kavadi dancing at the Kataragamatemple. 'Kanda Surinduni' went on to become a huge hit over the airwaves...
Kovil, in Okanda, Kumana National Park Kataragamatemple, Katirkamam in the South. Ganga Talao Sagar Shiv Mandir Temple in the Sea, Waterloo Road, Waterloo...
folklore, was seeking the blessing/protection of Kataragama, while he was away from the province. The temple was destroyed during the 1818 Uva-Wellassa rebellion...
temples with historic importance such as those at Ketheeswaram, Koneswaram, Naguleswaram, Munneswaram, Tondeswaram, and Nallur Kandaswamy. Kataragama...
rituals of the indigenous Vedda people of Sri Lanka. Local Veddas near Kataragamatemple believe that the nearby mountain peak of Vaedihitti Kande (The Mountain...
Badulla Kataragama Devalaya is an ancient devalaya, situated in Badulla, Sri Lanka. It is a devalaya that is dedicated to the Sinhalese deity Kataragama deviyo...
also befriends Valli and stays with them in Kataragama. Later, King Dutugemunu wins the war and builds a temple for Lord Skanda Kumara and the film ends...
as staying on in the forest with Valli after their wedding at Kataragama, where his temple stands. Devayanai tries in vain to compel the god to return to...
(Embekka Temple) was built by the King Vikramabahu III of Gampola Era (AD 1357–1374) in Sri Lanka. The Devalaya is dedicated to Kataragama deviyo. A...
Ameresekere, H. E. (July 1931). "The Kataragama God: Shrines and Legends". Ceylon Literary Register. Kataragama.org. pp. 289–292. Archived from the original...
in Tamil. Hence the temple got its name, as it is considered to be a second Kathirgamam (Kataragama) of the country. This temple is in Puloly in the Jaffna...
Vehera, Kataragama Balapokuna Raja Maha Vihara, Pamankada Buddhist Cultural Centre, Dehiwala Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo Isipathanaramaya Temple, Havelock...
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