Maamangeswara Pillayar of Batticaloa
This temple is situated in a place called Maamangam in Batticaloa. As in the case of many of the temples in Batticaloa, legends surround this temple too. According to one this temple was originally a Sivan (Easwaran) temple. But now it is Maamangeswara. Pillayar temple.
Pandit V.C. Kandiah a scholar and well-known historian says it is due to the faith based manner in which Hindus of Batticaloa, pray to both God Siva and God Ganesha as one represented by the “Vedic Mantra” Aum. In the sanctum sanctorium is the Lingam and the Pillayar statue is placed in front of it.
The history of the temple is believed to have its beginning in the era of Ramayana – about 5000 years ago. Entwined in the fabric of history is the story of a Dravidian queen by the name of Aadakasavundary who ruled Batticaloa in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. This is according to the Mattakalappu Maanmium. This queen was supposed to have had grotesque, ungainly appearance, and when she bathed in the Mamangam river, became a very beautiful woman. Because this great lady- (Maa-exalted, mangai-maiden) bathed in the river it was renamed Maamangai nathi (river). The queen paid much attention to the temple, and had restoration work done. That was a time when temples received Royal recognition and Maamanga temple in no exception.
This place called Maamangam has no connection with the Maamangam of the temple at Kudanthai in Kumbakonam in India. There the massi maha Theertha festival comes once in every twelve years people flock to bathe in the Mahaamaha river to wash away all their sins.
The temple stands loftily beside a lotus pond the temple pond on white sand. It is built according to the Vedic rules and the poosai also is performed by the brahimins in accordance with the Vedic rites. The temple has its miracles too. A devotee who was suffering from an incurable disease, worshipped this Pillayar, and climbing a coconut palm jumped down to kill himself when the deities were brought in a procession. He miraculously survived when the priest sprinkled theertham the holy water on him.
In another instance a woman cut her own throat after worshipping at the temple – reason - she also was suffering from an incurable disease. Again the priest sprinkled theertham on her. She was laid in front of the shrine. After a while she got up and walked away freed of her disease.
There was a man by the name of Periathamby Sinnathamby in the vicinity of the temple. He was also stricken with a rare illness. He lost faith in medicine and refused to eat food or take any medicine.
As he was lying down weak and lifeless, he saw a very short person standing beside him.
That person gave him a small bottle of medicine and ordered him to drink it. He got up - the mysterious person had vanished but the phial was there. He drank the contents and miraculously was cured of his affliction.
Some of those miraculous incidents were in passed on by word of mouth by eyewitnesses to the younger generation.
The faith is strong and the belief unswerving.
A Burgher who was cured of as kin disease by bathing in the Mamanga river told of his experience to a Hindu resident. These miracles cannot be denied - miracles happen even now.
It is not always a Hindu devotee is selected for God to perform miracles. One legend of the temple tells of a Vedha who after a tiresome day hunting, rested under a tree and dozed off. He dreamt of the presence of a lingam nearby, buried in the sand covered by the roots of trees, and bushes. He woke up startled and started cleaning the place. He called his fellow men to help. They then found the lingam and started worshipping it. They called it, “Kumarathne” as the vedhas used to call God Murugan. The legend says this is the very lingam that is in the Mamanga Pillayar temple. It is remarkable that there is a Murugan temple adjoining the Pillayar temple. This adds strength to the legend.
 Renovations at Maamangaswara Pillyar Temple Picture by Tilika V. Wijeyaratnam |
The history of the temple is believed to have its beginning in the era of Ramayana – about 5000 years ago. Entwined in the fabric of history is the story of a Dravidian queen by the name of Aadakasavundary who ruled Batticaloa in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. This is according to the Mattakalappu Maanmium. This queen was supposed to have had grotesque, ungainly appearance, and when she bathed in the Mamangam river, became a very beautiful woman. Because this great lady- (Maa-exalted, mangai-maiden) bathed in the river it was renamed Maamangai nathi (river). The queen paid much attention to the temple, and had restoration work done. That was a time when temples received Royal recognition and Maamanga temple in no exception.
This place called Maamangam has no connection with the Maamangam of the temple at Kudanthai in Kumbakonam in India. There the massi maha Theertha festival comes once in every twelve years people flock to bathe in the Mahaamaha river to wash away all their sins.
The temple stands loftily beside a lotus pond the temple pond on white sand. It is built according to the Vedic rules and the poosai also is performed by the brahimins in accordance with the Vedic rites. The temple has its miracles too. A devotee who was suffering from an incurable disease, worshipped this Pillayar, and climbing a coconut palm jumped down to kill himself when the deities were brought in a procession. He miraculously survived when the priest sprinkled theertham the holy water on him.
In another instance a woman cut her own throat after worshipping at the temple – reason - she also was suffering from an incurable disease. Again the priest sprinkled theertham on her. She was laid in front of the shrine. After a while she got up and walked away freed of her disease.
There was a man by the name of Periathamby Sinnathamby in the vicinity of the temple. He was also stricken with a rare illness. He lost faith in medicine and refused to eat food or take any medicine.
As he was lying down weak and lifeless, he saw a very short person standing beside him.
That person gave him a small bottle of medicine and ordered him to drink it. He got up - the mysterious person had vanished but the phial was there. He drank the contents and miraculously was cured of his affliction.
Some of those miraculous incidents were in passed on by word of mouth by eyewitnesses to the younger generation.
The faith is strong and the belief unswerving.
A Burgher who was cured of as kin disease by bathing in the Mamanga river told of his experience to a Hindu resident. These miracles cannot be denied - miracles happen even now.
It is not always a Hindu devotee is selected for God to perform miracles. One legend of the temple tells of a Vedha who after a tiresome day hunting, rested under a tree and dozed off. He dreamt of the presence of a lingam nearby, buried in the sand covered by the roots of trees, and bushes. He woke up startled and started cleaning the place. He called his fellow men to help. They then found the lingam and started worshipping it. They called it, “Kumarathne” as the vedhas used to call God Murugan. The legend says this is the very lingam that is in the Mamanga Pillayar temple. It is remarkable that there is a Murugan temple adjoining the Pillayar temple. This adds strength to the legend.
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