Thiru Arumugam

Thondeswaram Thiru Arumugam

From the time of Vijaya there were the Panchiswarams, a set of five coastal temples of Siva built at cardinal points of the compass for the purpose of protecting Lanka from calamities. They were Naguleswaram at the northern point of the Jaffna Peninsula, Thirukoneswaram at the eastern point in Trincomalee, Thiruketheeswaram near Mannar and Muneeswaram near Chilaw both on the western coast, and Thondeswaram in Dondra at the southernmost point of Lanka. These temples of Siva were all completely destroyed by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. The temples now existing at these locations were built subsequently. Details and locations of the first four temples in the above list are well known, but details of the last temple, Thondeswaram, are not so well known. This book lists the available information about Thondeswaram and also the history of the other temples at this site, now known as Devinuwara (the City of Gods), but was called Dondra during British days. As the temples at this site were practically completely demolished by the Portuguese, the actual location of the Temple of Siva is not known. The stone sculptures of the Lingam, the emblematic representation of Siva, and Nandhi (Bull) his vehicle, have been found here. This book suggests three possible locations as the site of the ancient Temple of Siva.