AstavaDasha Shakti peetham Shankari Devi, Sri Lanka

Significance
Shankari Devi sanctuary in Tricomalee, Srilanka is a noticeable sanctuary for Hindus. However, it is most once in a while went by and it is minimum prominent in all AstavaDasha Shakti peethas.Shankari Devi Temple is arranged in an east drift town of Srilanka, Tricomalee.

Alongside the sanctuary of Shaankari Devi, there is a sanctuary of Lord Shiva – TRIKONESHWARA Temple.

Portuguese individuals annihilated these sanctuaries in seventeenth century. 


History
Koneswaram sanctuary likewise Thirukoneswaram is a Hindu sanctuary which is situated in the town Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. It is devoted to primary divinity in Shaivism to be specific Lord Siva and is one of the five old Sivan templearound the island.

Trincomalee is a characteristic profound water harbor that pulled in extraordinary ocean farers like Marco Polo, Ptolemy and ocean dealers from China and East Asia from the antiquated circumstances. The neighborhood name Thirukonamalai signifies "Heavenly East Hill". Kona is a subsidiary of the first Century Tamil word Kuna meaning East. Trinco as it is ordinarily called has been an ocean port since the times of the old Kings and one of the British Empire's most imperative ports in Asia amid the second world war. From 1941-45, Trinco had been the home office of Lord Louis Mountbatten Allied Southeast Asia leader.

The Koneswaram sanctuary is accepted to have been a noteworthy religious holy place since before the landing of Prince Vijaya 2500 years prior. Numerous engravings found in the encompassing zone talk about Indian Pallava, Chola and even Pandya rulers making commitments to the upkeep of the sanctuary demonstrating a cause in times long past. Neighborhood legend has it that it was redesigned by a Tamil Chola ruler from South India named Kulakottan. This sanctuary is one of the four essential Saivite sanctuary associated with the restoration of Hinduism in Sri Lanka. The other three sanctuaries are arranged in Ketheeswaram, Munneswaram and Galle.

There is confirm that demonstrates at any rate a portion of the later Sinhalese Buddhist lords excessively kept up the sanctuary albeit Buddhist King Mahasena was accounted for to have decimated it and constructed a Buddhist sanctuary and Dagoba in its place.

This place of worship was annihilated in 1622 by the Portuguese (who called it the Temple of a Thousand Columns), who braced the statures with the materials got from its obliteration. A portion of the ancient rarities from the annihilated sanctuary were kept in the Lisbon Museum. The stone engraving by Kulakottan has a double fish image and is engraved with a prediction expressing that after 1500s, westerners with various eye hues will control the nation for the following 500 years and toward its finish, the administer will return to Vadugus. Trincomalee was next held by the Dutch and in this way by them and the French then again, till the catch of Sri Lanka by the British in 1795.

The slope confront is tough and is called 'Ravanan Veddu'. As Trinco is brimming with seismic and volcanic action as observed in Kanniya Hot Springs territory, this tough face of shake is an indication of the development of Earth's hull around there.

Alongside Ketheeswaram in Mannar, this sanctuary was specified by one of the Bhakti period Tevaram writing by one of the Nayanmars, in particular Sundarar in South India, demonstrating its prominence even in India.

Thirukonasala Vaipavam, composed by the writer V. Akilesapillai is an imperative abstract work in Tamil on the historical backdrop of this sanctuary. 

After 1505 A.D, the sanctuary was annihilated by Portuguese catholic colonialists (alongside incalculable Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim spots of love around the island), while the principle statue was taken out to town for a happy event. Right now Portuguese officers went into the sanctuary dressed as Iyer ministers and ransacked the sanctuary. The sanctuary was pulverized and its building materials were utilized as a part of the development of an adjacent fortress by the Portuguese.The introduce statues were discovered when diving a well in Trinco. Amid the season of Portuguese manage the statues were covered up in a silted well and were later overlooked. Amid autonomy, the old statues were at long last found.

After a hole of very nearly 450 years, after the Sri Lankan autonomy, some Sri Lankan Tamil hindu individuals of Trincomalee met up and fabricated the present sanctuary in 1952. In measure it's little contrasted with the first sanctuary.

The yearly celebration at this sanctuary draws in explorers from all parts of India.

Legends
Ravana Legend

Long long ago, in the Tretha Yuga Parvathi was suddenly hit with a strong desire. She wanted a house, a large palatial mansion, where she could live happily with Shiva and her children, Heyrambha and Skanda. Coyly, she approached Shiva. “Swami, I have one request to make of you” she said, her head hanging down with shyness.Shiva smiled his all-knowing bubbly smile. “Devi, you know fully well the repercussions of your previous request to me. But still, you have a desire. Speak away.”“I want a house Swami. I want to live in a lovely mansion, attended by Yoginis and playing with our children. Please grant me this wish” said Parvathi.

Shiva laughed. “Shakthi, who are you speaking to? Have you forgotten that you are talking to me, who is extolled as the yogi of yogis, who has achieved supreme control over his senses and who sees no difference between the luxurious and the mundane.”

“I fully understand Swami, but it is you who does not understand my intentions for the goodness of this world. I want a house and I want it now.” said Shakthi with a hint of finality.

Shiva realized the thought behind Shakthi’s request and finally he gave his assent. Waving his hands in front of him he said, “Vishwakarma, I am in need of your help”. Lo, before him stood the Devaloka Architect, with a chisel in one hand and a hammer in the other. He bowed to the divine couple and awaited his instructions.

“Vishwakarma, build me the best palace ever seen in this world so that Uma can have her desire satisfied.” intoned Shiva.In an instant Vishwakarma flew southwards and chose a beautiful spot on the island of Lanka. There he raised a magnificent structure, gleaming with gold and gems, cooled with water fountains and filled with the smell of many divine flowers in the garden, a palace that qualified to be the residence of the Mother of the three worlds.

Parvathi was extremely pleased with the outcome and wanted to perform the Griha Pravesha of this beautiful palace with the help of the best of the Brahmanas. Shiva and Shakthi came down to Lanka to find a suitable brahmana for the Grihapravesha. It was then that the distant but powerful chant of “Om Namah Shivaya” reached their ears. Following the divine sound they came to a place where they beheld a ten-headed man, performing austere tapasya invoking Shiva. Shiva smiled at Shakthi and then spoke out.

“Ravana, you have achieved the purpose of your tapas. So strong was your tapa that it not only drew me to you but also attracted Shakthi along with me to the place of your penance. You will achieve all that you desire.” he blessed.

Realising that Ravana was the son of the great saint Vishravas and very well versed on all the four Vedas, Parvathi was suddenly sure that he would be the right brahmana to perform the Grihapravesha to her house. Ravana gladly accepted the invitation and set a date for the auspicious entry into the palace (Ravana is believed to have been an authority in Astrology too and is said to have authored a separate book on Astrology titled Ravana Samhita)

On the prescribed date, Ravana performed the ceremony with much grandeur and splendor, with the correct usage of all the mantras and shlokas. Shiva and Parvathi entered their mansion and added further sanctity to the spot. Parvathi was extremely pleased with Ravana’s prowess in the Vedas and offered him any boon that he wanted as dakshina for performing the ceremonies.

Shiva, however laughed silently besides Parvathi. “It is not proper for a Brahmana to ask what he wants for dakshina. He should be pleased with what the Yajamana or Yajamani gives him. However, as Shakthi herself offered you the boon, you may ask whatever you please.”Ravana demands the Palace as a giftRavana smiled at the couple and realized suddenly what he wanted. He had fallen in love with the palace itself. He had admired every piece of woodwork, every carving and every room that had been designed by Vishwakarma. “Jaganmata, I would like this house of yours in return for my ceremonies.” He asked.

Parvathi smiled at the play of fate and granted him his wish. Ravana was visibly thrilled but at the same time guilt rattled him. He felt ashamed at robbing Parvathi of her house. “Devi,” he exclaimed, “do continue to live in Lanka as long as you please. This land is but equivalent to one speck of dust on your feet. Please give your consent to stay here and bless this land forever.”Parvathi smiled again. “Ravana, I accept your invitation. My shakthi will always pervade this place. But on one condition- I will go away from the island the moment you disobey any of my commands.” Ravana agreed to her condition and with one last Tathastu, Parvathi returned to Kailasha.

Ravana built a gigantic temple, replete with architectural details, dedicated to the goddess Shankari Devi. The temple was located on the top a cliff that fell sharply into the magnificent sea below. Around the temple, Ravana set up a beautiful garden, the best in all of Lanka. The goddess smiled on the people of Lanka and the kingdom prospered.Trouble began when Ravana, overcome by carnal desire, kidnapped Seetha and brought her to Lanka. Shankari devi was angered by this base action of Ravana. She asked him to leave Seetha and return her to Rama. But lust clung to Ravana like a leech and he did not obey Devi’s advice. Highly disappointed, Shankari left the island country and with her left all the peace and prosperity of the kingdom.

We are of course familiar with the remainder of the story detailing the Rama-Ravana war and the subsequent defeat of Ravana. When Vibheeshana was crowned by Rama as the emperor of Lanka, he prayed that Shankari devi once again take residence in the island nation. Shankari Devi accepted his prayers and re-entered her temple, bringing glory to Lanka once again.Shankari Devi as described in the Dhyana ShlokaThe place where Ravana had built Shankari Devi’s temple is believed to be the exact spot where the groin of Sati is said to have fallen. The magnificent cliff where the temple was built is by itself considered to be a part of Kailasha.
Adisesha Legend
At the point when this universe was conceived, Parameshwara had appointed different assignments to different divine beings and demigods and favored them with the required forces. Adisesha was doled out with the obligation of holding up the earth, relentlessly until the following Mahapralaya. Having found out about this Vayu, the breeze god, was irate. "Sesha", he provoked, "in what capacity can you, who fears Garuda, be the ideal decision to hold up this world". Adisesha was angry. "I live just by eating you, gracious Wind. I am substantially more grounded than you are" he sliced back. Blinded by anger, they assaulted each other. Adisesha looped himself around Kailasha and scoffed at Vayu. "In the event that you are as effective as you say, take a stab at overwhelming one pinnacle of this awesome mountain". Vayu transformed into a tropical storm and assaulted Kailasha. The universes trembled at the power of this battle and the devas longed for shelter at Shiva's feet. Shiva at that point requested Brahma to make another Kailasha toward the south and afterward plunged with Parvathi to live at the Southern Kailasha.

"Adisesha," said Shiva. "This is another play of mine. I have chosen to shield the general population of Bharatha Khanda from the south as well. This war of yours will end similarly as effectively to support me. Hear me out." Adisesha lifted three of his thousand hoods to look and tune in to the ruler. Right then and there, Vayu split away three tops from Kailasa. By Parameshwara's requests he set these three in Thondai naadu(ThiruKaalahasthi), Chozha Naadu (Thirichirapalli {See Thayumanavar}) and in Eezha Naadu (Thirukkonamalai, Lanka) individually. The third slope came to be known as Thirukkonamalai and lies along an indistinguishable longitude from Kailasha, accordingly acquiring the nameDakshina Kailasha. This was the place the renowned worldwide Shankari Devi sanctuary was found.

For those of you who noticed the previous tense in the last sentence, it was not an error. Tragically, the sanctuary never again exists. All that remaining parts of the wonderful sanctuary, that was affectionately work by Ravana, is yet one column.
Kethu Legend
Rummaging around for legends, we ran over a couple of that were key to the sanctuary. The Asura, Kethu, stealthily gulped a bit of the Divine Nectar acquired by stirring the Ocean of Milk, which would present everlasting status on only him. Vishnu guillotined him and Kethu meandered headless until the point that Brahma had compassion for him and changed him into the planets Rahu and Kethu. Fretful with the weight of wrongdoing, Kethu came to Ketheeswaram, appeased Lord Siva and got moksha. Accordingly the place came to be known as Tiru — Kethu — eeswaram.

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