Mandur Kandasamy Kovil, Mandur

Mandur Murukan Temple is an ancient Murukan temple located in Mandur village, about 20 miles south of Batticaloa city in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, along the Batticaloa waterway. It is also known as Thillai Mandur or Chinna Kathirakamam.

During the festivals held at this temple, the Nallur Sengundar traditionally gives the flag hoisting ceremony on a beautiful chariot every year.

History
The temples of Kataragama and Mandur are believed to be associated with the Kandan invasion. The Kandan invasion is believed to have preceded the Ramayana war and occurred before 1800 BC. The texts Batticaloa Tamil Nadu and Batticaloa Manmiyam state that the tree that destroyed Soorapadmana could not bear the force and sank into the sea and split into three branches, and one of the branches was planted in a Thillai tree in Mandur and became a shrine.

Temple structure
This temple was built during the period 1215–1248. The temple structure is similar to Kataragama. There are two small temples in the outer courtyard. One is for Deivayana and the other for Valli. There are also temples for Pillayar and Nagathamphiran.

Worship methods
The worship methods here are ancient and similar to Kataragama.

During the festival in Kathirgaam, the Swami’s procession will reach the front of the Valli Ambal temple. Then, the priest (kappurala) will secretly take an object in a box on the elephant to the Valliyambal temple. After the puja is over, it will be brought back secretly and placed in the box, and the procession will continue. During the theertham, this same object is taken into the Ganga to be immersed in the water. The same practice is followed in Mandur. Here, instead of an elephant, the object is carried in a chariot called a Putpaka Vimana. When the Swami’s procession from the Mandur Murugan temple reaches the front of the Valliyambal temple, the Putpaka Vimana is placed on the platform there. The Kappurala (priest) will secretly take the object inside it to the Valliyambal temple, perform puja, and then bring it back.

During the theertham, the Putpaka Vimana would depart from the temple and reach the Sabha Mandapam on the banks of the Batticaloa Wavi. The Kappukanar would carry the contents of the vessel into a bandarul hidden by a seelai in the Batticaloa Wavi and perform the theertham.

In ancient times, fire trampling was also practiced in Mandur, similar to the Kathirkamam. Mudaliar S. O. Kanagarethinam has mentioned this in his book on Batticaloa written in English. The first event to start the festival was the whipping of the whips on the roads leading to the village in the evening. When the temple was located in the forest, the whip was used to disperse the nearby animals. During the festival, it is customary to blow the conch shell and play the sekandi around the temple in the evening. The wire wrapped around the seelai is dipped in coconut oil and is still lit here today.