Keerimalai Aadi Amavasai
On Aadi Amavasai, the new moon of the Tamil month of Aadi, thousands gather at Keerimalai near Jaffna to bathe and perform rites for their late fathers.
Aadi Amavasai is the new moon day in the Tamil month of Aadi, which falls in July or August. For Hindus it is the most important day of the year to remember ancestors, and especially for sons to perform rites for their late fathers. In northern Sri Lanka, the place everyone goes is Keerimalai, on the coast north of Jaffna.
From before dawn, families arrive at the Keerimalai springs, where fresh water rises right beside the sea into old stone bathing pools. The men, guided by priests, perform tharpanam, offerings of water, sesame seeds and rice to the ancestors, then bathe in the springs and the sea. The water is believed to have healing powers, and the bath is seen as purifying.
After the rites, families walk up to the Naguleswaram Temple, one of the five ancient Shiva temples of Sri Lanka, for special poojas. The whole seafront turns into a busy fair, with stalls selling flowers, offerings and food.
Visitors are welcome to watch, but remember that it is a day of mourning and remembrance for many families, so keep a respectful distance and ask before taking photos of people during the rites. Aadi Amavasai often falls during the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil festival, so it is a good time to be in Jaffna.
The name comes from a legend. Keeri means mongoose in Tamil, and the story goes that a sage, whose face had come to look like a mongoose's after years of meditation here, bathed in the springs and had his human face restored. The same story gives Naguleswaram its name, from nagula, the Sanskrit word for mongoose. The temple was largely destroyed after the Portuguese conquest, restored in 1894 and reopened after a major expansion in 2012.
If you plan to bathe, there are separate pools for men and women, so follow the signs, and bring a change of clothes. On the day itself, arrive early, as parking and the roads near the seafront fill up quickly.
At a glance
- When: Usually in August
- Duration: 1 day (new moon in the Tamil month of Aadi)
- Venue: Keerimalai Springs and Naguleswaram Temple, Keerimalai
- Organizer: Naguleswaram Temple
- Entry: Free