Sri Subramaniya Kovil
Found on Slave Island, Sri Subramaniya Kovil is one of Colombo’s most impressive Hindu temples. We were welcomed inside on a balmy February morning, and had an incredible time watching the ceremonies and taking in the atmosphere. When we left, it was with colorful dots on our foreheads and a beginner’s appreciation of Hindu.
Slave Island takes its name from the days when Colombo was ruled by the Netherlands. It’s actually an inland peninsula, surrounded by Beira Lake, which provided the colonialists a handy place in which to confine their African slaves. Only one side needed to be protected against escape attempts, because the dastardly Dutch had filled the waters with alligators in order to dissuade swimmers. It’s as though they delighted in pure evil! (1) Subjugate an island nation. (2) Ship in foreign slaves. (3) Guard slaves with man-eating monsters. They probably wore handlebar mustaches, and were at work on some sort of doomsday device, too.
When our tuk-tuk pulled up in front of the Sri Subramaniya Kovil on Slave Island, my jaw dropped. An 82-foot tower reaches up to the sky, covered with what must be hundreds of Hindu deities. We stood in front of the temple for at least ten minutes, admiring the intricate, colorful and rather gaudy sculpture work.
After removing our shoes, we stepped inside. Nobody seemed to mind us being there and, to the contrary, we were made to feel welcome. A number of brahmans were wandering around, and after placing some flower petals in our hands to offer the shrine of our choosing, put dots of color onto our foreheads: a tilak, which represents the “third eye” common to many of the Hindu gods.
This was my first time inside any sort of Hindu temple, and it was pretty fascinating. There were a number of shrines inside, which people were walking around in a clockwise manner. Priests were carrying offering plates around to the various shrines, and blessing the faithful. There was fire involved. Elephant gods. Face painting. Incense. Requisite shirt-removal. Bells, flowers and chanting. My overall impression? Hinduism is kind of a blast.
Enjoy our pictures and the video of this amazing temple in the heart of Colombo.
February 9, 2012 at 3:38 am Comments (3)
