A towering Hindu temple on Nainativu island dedicated to the goddess Parvati, ranked among the sacred Shakti Peethas.

Overview

Standing beside the Nagadeepa Buddhist temple on Nainativu island, the Nagapooshani Amman Temple is a large and vividly coloured Hindu shrine dedicated to the goddess Parvati (as Nagapooshani) and Shiva. Its main eastern gopuram soars around 108 feet, covered in a dense mass of carved deities, and the complex draws around a thousand pilgrims a day and vastly more during its famous annual festival. The temple and the island ferry crossing make it one of the north's most rewarding day trips.

History

The temple is revered as one of the Shakti Peethas, sacred sites of the mother goddess, and has ancient roots tied to the same Naga legends as neighbouring Nagadeepa. Rebuilt and greatly enlarged in modern times, it is now one of the most important Hindu temples in the Jaffna islands.