Thambiluvil kannaki amman temple sri lanka

Thambiluvil Kannaki Amman Kovil (Tamil: தம்பிலுவில் கண்ணகி அம்மன் ஆலயம்) is one of the most significant Hindu temples in the Ampara District of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. It is situated about 70 km south of Batticaloa town and 11 km south to Akkaraipattu. This is considered as the one of the ancient temples of Mattakkalappu Desam (Batti – Ampara districts nowadays) made for Kannaki Amman, the heroine of the great Tamil epic Silappatikaram.

Thambiluvil and its sister village Thirukkovil are considered as the ancient settlement of Nāga tribe thus called as “Nagarmunai”. The cult of Kannaki is believed as the continuity of tribal worship of mother goddess of Nagas. The alternative name “Nāga Mangalai” (literally “the Auspicious Nāga”) given to Kannaki only in the literary records of Thambiluvil and Pattimedu signifies the same.

The temple is believed to have been constructed after the arrival of Pattini cult by Gajabahu I during 113-135 CE. Another myth tells that the idols of three goddesses – Kannaki, Kali and Chenbaga Nachi arrived east coast of Ceylon through a merchant vessel from Tamilakam and three temples were built for them wherever they stopped.

That three locations are identified nowadays as Thambiluvil, Sampur and Eachchilampattu respectively. However, so many historical evidences confirm that Thambiluvil temple was honored by the Kandyan and Kotte kings of Sri Lanka who ruled the island since 14th century CE. The ancient location of this temple is pointed out by the elders as “Urakkai”, a paddy field land west to Thambiluvil village. They claimed that once, the idol of goddess was miraculously shown by a golden pigeon at Urakkai and Old temple at Urakkai was shifted to its present many years ago for unknown reasons.