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Saturday, April 14, 2012

'Nagapooshani Amman' temple, 'Nainathivu' - 'Nagadipa', Sri Lanka.

The renovated 'Gopuram' after the 'Kumbaapishekam'

The outer wall of the temple

The shoreline

'Gram-sellers' on the road leading to the jetty

This temple has a history going back to antiquity. The presence of the legendary Naga tribes in the North of Sri Lanka is very much evident even today. This temple devoted to a Naga Goddess, place names like 'Naagar Kovil' and surnames like Nagalingam, Nagamma, Nagamuththu, Nagamony etc is a present day reality.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Scenes at 'Nagadipa', Sri Lanka.

The prescribed order of visit and worship on entering a Buddhist temple in the Theravada tradition:-

First the 'Chaitya' has to be worshiped because it contains the holy relics.

Next the 'Bodhi tree' because it reminds one of the Bodhi tree under which the 'Sakyamuni' attained Buddhahood.

Thirdly the statue of the Lord Buddha called with the honoric title the 'Pilimahan Vahanse', reminding one of the Lord Buddha as seen after His Enlightenment.

The 'Chaitya' - 'Saaririka'

The 'Bodhiya' - 'Paaribhogika'

The 'Pilimahan Vahanse' - 'Uddhesika'

Thursday, April 12, 2012

A scene at the entrance to the temple

A picture depicting Lord Buddha preaching to the assembled Nagas.

The site of a historic visit of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka, according to the ancient Pali chronicles, it is now flooded with pilgrims from the south of the Island.