Thiruketheeswaram/Ketheeswaram Temple

The Thirukeetheswaram Temple, also known as the Ketheswaram Temple, is an ancient Hindu temple located in the Mannar District on the west coast of Sri Lanka. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and has a rich historical and cultural significance.The temple’s origins are believed to date back to ancient times, with some historical texts and legends suggesting that it was built more than 2,000 years ago. According to local traditions and Hindu beliefs, the temple was originally established by the Pandya kings of South India, who ruled parts of Sri Lanka as well. The temple has also been associated with the Ramayana, where it is said that the great Hindu epic’s hero, Rama, prayed to Lord Shiva here.

Thiruketheeswaram is a one of the oldest and the popular Lord Shiva temple in the world. In Sri Lanka, it is one of the popular five Lord Shiva temples, others being; Koneswaram in Trincomalee, Naguleswaram in Jaffna, Munnesawaram in Chilaw and Tenavaram in Matara. Thirukketheeswaram temple is an ancient Hindu temple in Mannar, Northern Province Sri Lanka. This is temple is a land mark & temple fully builded by black stone. Temple recently renewed by Administration.

Legend has it that the temple was established by the sage Bhogar, and its history dates back over 2,500 years. The temple’s architecture combines traditional Dravidian and Pallava styles, reflecting its historical and cultural importance. Pilgrims visit Thiruketheeswaram to seek blessings and perform rituals, making it a vital spiritual center for Hindus in Sri Lanka and beyond.

Other

The Ketheeswaram temple (alternatively called Thiruketheeswaram) is an ancient Hindu kovil located in Mannar, in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province. It is one of the island’s Pancha Ishwarams (a group of five ancient coastal kovils that were built around the perimeter of Sri Lanka) that were dedicated to the Hindu supreme being Ishwara in the form of the god Shiva. The temple overlooks the ancient Tamil port towns of Manthai and Kudiramalai.

Thiruketheeswaram is at least 2,400 years old, although the exact year of its creation is unknown. It exists alongside the long-buried city of Manthottam, a former Hindu city and a centre of international trade in ancient times. In the 16th century, when the Portuguese attacked the island, the Thiruketheeswaram and countless other temples around the country were destroyed. The temple was rebuilt in the early 20th century, nearly 400 years after its destruction, and again renovated with the help of the Thiruketheeswaram Restoration Society in the 1950s.

Legends Surrounding the Temple
There are different legends that claim the origin of the temple. According the Indian epic Ramayana, the wife of the king of Lanka hailed from Manthai, where her father built the Thiruketheeswaram temple in dedication to Shiva. In the Skanda Purana, an ancient Sanskrit work, legend tells of the God of Wind uprooting the three towers of the Maha Meru mountain in Indonesia, and dropping one of these towers at Thiruketheeswaram.