Sri Muneshwaram Kovil Water Spring

Festival The annual Munneswaram festival is an important part of the Temple calendar. It lasts for 27 days usually in the months of August and September. The festival begins with the hoisting of the Temple flag. This is followed by 13 days of internal devale peraheras conducted in the outer area of the Maha Devale. Devotees visit the Temple to attend the pujas and make their offerings. Booths are specially erected outside for the sale of food, drink, brassware, pottery, cloth, images etc. On the penultimate day of the festival there is a very special car procession, when the god’s image is placed upon a huge wooden juggernaut and pulled around the temple by devotees. On the next and final day of the festival, two large chariots gaily decked are drawn by the devotees to the Deduru-oya for the diya-kepima or water-cutting ceremony. Images of Siva or Mahaisvaram and his consort Parvati or Uma take pride of position between the two chariots. The statue of Gane Deviyo or Ganesha goes in front with that of Skanda (Kataragama Deviyo) following, the two sons of Siva. After the diya-kepima and whatever rituals have been performed, the procession goes back to the Temple along a decorated route through Chilaw town, accompanied by nagasalam music. On the way back the procession passes the two devales attached to the kovil – the Aiyanayake devale dedicated to Aiyanar (T) or Aiyana (S), presiding deity over forests, fields and irrigation reservoirs, and the Maha Badhra Kali devale dedicated to Kali who represents the destructive side of God Siva. Navaratri Another special feature of Munneswaram is the celebration of the nine-day festival of navarathri in honour of the three major sakthis or consorts of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva – three days to each consort. Parvati or Uma is the consort of Siva, Lakshmi is Vishnu’s consort and Sarasvati is Brahma’s – bestowers of fruitfulness, wealth and wisdom respectively. This festival, which takes place in October, is mentioned here because it is more impressively and elaborately performed at Munneswaram than anywhere else eg. the daily Chanka abisheka with 108 chanks, khumba puja, special yaga, chanting of vedas and other ceremonies.