Visit the Munneswaram Temple near Chilaw
by admin-unique | May 30, 2019 | Sri Lankan Cultural Sites
Perhaps fitting for a temple dedicated to the Hindu god of Shiva – the “destroyer and transformer” – the temple complex has been destroyed and rebuilt twice in its long history. The Portuguese were responsible for the destruction on both occasions and then gave the complex over to the Jesuits. The local Sinhala and Tamils rebuilt the temple on the existing foundations and it remains an active place of worship and devotion to this day.
Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians join together for the annual Munneswaram Festival, an event that lasts four weeks in August and September. The Hindu festival of Navratri is also celebrated at the temple each autumn, as is the Sivarathri festival which usually takes place in February and honours the Hindu god of Shiva.
Specialising in bespoke tours to Sri Lanka, we regularly get requests to include trips to Munneswaram Temple within our traveller’s customised itineraries. If you’d like to visit the temple, or any of the other amazing cultural sites in Sri Lanka, please get in touch to discuss.