Munnesvaram Temple and Animal Sacrifice
Munnesvaram Temple in Chilaw is a collection of five temples, including a Buddhist temple. The central temple dedicated to Shiva is the most prestigious and biggest. The other temples are dedicated to Ganesha and Ayyanayake.
In the vicinity of the main temple, is the imposing temple of goddess Badra Kali. It is at the Kali shrine that animal sacrifices take place annually. The shrine is also associated with popular sorcery and spirit possession. The Kali temple is also popular with Buddhists and Roman Catholics. Since the 19th century, most of the devotees of all temples belong to the majority Sinhala Buddhist ethnic group. All temples, except the Ayyanayake and the Buddhist temple are administered by Hindu Tamils.
History
Munneswaram temple was mentioned in the Kokila Sandesya during the reign of King Parakrama Bahu VI of Kotte (1412-1467), when the bird messenger traveling from Matara to Jaffna passes the temple. The temple flourished during the reign of this king and his descendants up until 1528 AC. Parakramabahu IX (1509-1528 A.D.) continued his patronage to the kovil with donation of lands. This was one of the Hindu temples destroyed by the Portuguese. They destroyed the temple completely in 1578 AC, and the building was used as a Roman Catholic chapel.
King Kirti Sri Rajasinha rebuilt the superstructure in the 1750s. The Kotha on top is made of silver, a fine work of art and culture displaying the best of South Indian Hindu architecture. The temple was renovated again in 1875 and again in 1919 and 1963 by public support from Hindus and Buddhists all over the island.
The annual Munneswaram festival lasts for four weeks usually in the months of August and September. Each year, the Big Chariot, drawn by two white bulls, draped in silk and adorned with garlands, carrying the deity, is escorted in procession through the Chilaw town.