Nagadeepa Island
Description
Nagadeepa Island is a small island located near Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka. It is also known as Nainativu and is thought to have been inhabited by Naga tribal characters. The Hindu shrine of Nagapooshani Amman Kovil Temple and the Buddhist shrine of Nagadeepa Temple are located on this island.
From Jaffna, use the Jaffna-Pannai-Kayts Road and the Valukkairaru-Punkudutivu-Kurikadduwan Road up to Kurikadduwan Harbor to reach the Kurikadduwan Jetty, which takes passengers to Nagadeepa Island in 15-30 minutes.
Read More in Details
Nagadeepa's rich history includes mentions in ancient Tamil Sangam literature from adjacent Tamil Nadu, such as Manimekalai, where it was known as Manipallavam. It is also mentioned in ancient Buddhist legends from Sri Lanka, such as the Mahavamsa. Furthermore, in the first century CE, Ptolemy, the Greek cartographer, referred to the islands surrounding the Jaffna peninsula as Nagadiba.
In historical documents, Nagadeepa was known as Nka Tivu / Nka Nadu, comprising the entire Jaffna peninsula. Buddhist stories describe the interactions between the Nagadeepa people and Buddha. The second-century Tamil epics Kundalakesi and Manimekalai mention Manipallavam as a Nka Nadu islet from where traders sourced diamonds and conch shells. The protagonists visit the island, and the sea goddess Manimekhala transports the heroine to Nagadeepa, where she worships Buddha.
Among the Nagadeepa stories is the account of Buddha settling a quarrel between two Naga princes over a gem-set throne seat. This episode occurred on the island of Manipallavam or Nagadeepa, which numerous scholars have recognized as Nainativu. An inscription from the 12th century CE at the Nainativu Hindu temple recalls the presence of foreigners at new ports, their protection, and the rituals related to shipwrecks.
The epic Manimekalai tells the story of Chola king Killi, who fell in love with Naga princess Pilivalai while visiting Nagadeepa. Tondaiman Ilamtiraiyan was born from their relationship. The princess sent her kid to the Chola realm, entrusting him to a merchant named Kambala Chetty, who traded in woollen blankets. However, the ship transporting the young prince was wrecked in bad weather. He miraculously survived by wrapping a Tondai twig around his leg and gaining the moniker Tondaiman Ilam Tiraiyan, "one of the seas or waves." Tondaiman Ilamtiraiyan grew up to rule the northern section of the Chola kingdom, which became known as Tondaimandalam and contributed to the creation of the Pallava dynasty.
According to Ptolemy's reports, the Naga people were famed for their snake worship, a Dravidian habit, and spoke Tamil. They probably also said Prakrit, a language linked with the Amaravathi hamlet in Guntur district, which had strong cultural ties with the early Tamils of Jaffna throughout the classical period. Archaeological discoveries back up the Nka clan and serpent worship in Dravidian India and Sri Lanka during the megalithic period.
