Koneswaram Temple In Trincomalee

The Koneswaram Temple dedicated to God Shiva and nestling on a rocky outcrop named Swami Rock is a major attraction in Trincomalee, It is one of the Pancha Ishwarams built to honour God Shiva in the island.

Trincomalee

Trincomalee is a tourist hub. Apart from the Koneswaram Temple it has many other attractions like the hot wells of Kinniya, Marble Beach and Pigeon Island. The term, Hotel Trincomalee covers a wide spectrum of accommodation options. When in Trincomalee, if you need a luxuriouas jungle oasis with land and sea Jungle Beach by Uga Escapes would be a suitable choice.

History of Temple

Some say that King Panduvasdeva (5th Century B.C.) built Koneswaram. Its recorded history goes back over 03 millennia.

The Ravana Link

Koneswaram is linked to Ravana, Sri Lanka’s Demon King. Ravana’s mother worshipped at Koneswaram but the walk to the shrine was long. So, Ravana wanted to bring the shrine closer and break the rock. Lord Shiva stopped him. The cleft made in the rock by Ravana’s sword is called Ravana’s Vettu.

About the Temple

Koneswaram is also known as the Temple of a Thousand Pillars due to its hall having had a thousand pillars. It is made of Karungal (black granite) and decorated with carvings. The ancient Svayambu Lingam is in the main shrine room. A golden statue of Ravana is outside the temple .The finding of Koneswaram Temple artefacts in the Indian Ocean by Sir.Arthur C. Clarke and Mike Wilson brought Koneswaram into the global limelight.

Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe. Google+