Maha Shivaratri at Thiruketheeswaram
On Maha Shivaratri, pilgrims from across Sri Lanka gather at Thiruketheeswaram, one of the island's oldest Shiva temples, for a night of fasting and prayer.
Maha Shivaratri, "the great night of Shiva", is the most important night of the year for Shaivite Hindus, and in Sri Lanka the place most closely tied to it is Thiruketheeswaram Kovil near Mannar. It falls on the new moon night of the Tamil month of Maasi, usually in February or early March.
Thiruketheeswaram is one of the Pancha Ishwarams, the five ancient Shiva temples that guard the coast of Sri Lanka, along with Thirukoneswaram in Trincomalee and Naguleswaram near Keerimalai. It stands close to the old port of Manthai, and it was praised in Tamil devotional hymns more than a thousand years ago.
On Shivaratri the temple stays open all night. Devotees fast through the day, bathe in the Palavi tank beside the temple, and then keep vigil while the priests perform poojas and abhishekam (the ritual bathing of the lingam) through the four watches of the night. Thousands of pilgrims arrive from Jaffna, Colombo and the hill country, and special buses run to Mannar for the night.
If you go, dress modestly, expect to remove your shoes and (for men) your shirt inside the inner temple, and bring water and something warm for the early hours. Maha Shivaratri is a public holiday in Sri Lanka, so roads and buses to Mannar are busy the day before.
The temple you see today is a rebuilding. Thiruketheeswaram was largely destroyed by the Portuguese in 1575, and its stones were carried off to build forts and churches, including the fort at Mannar. Centuries later, following an appeal by the Hindu reformer Arumuka Navalar, it was rebuilt on its original site in 1903, and it has been restored again in recent years after the damage and neglect of the war.
For visitors, the atmosphere after dark is the reason to come: chanting, oil lamps and long lines of devotees moving through the temple all night. Mannar town is a short drive away and has most of the places to stay, so book early and plan to head back the morning after.
At a glance
- When: Usually in February
- Duration: 1 night (date moves each year, February or March)
- Venue: Thiruketheeswaram Kovil, Mannar
- Organizer: Thiruketheeswaram Kovil
- Entry: Free