The historical and renowned Maavittapuram Kandhaswamy Temple, which is set to hold its Kumbhabhishekam on the 11th of this month, is witnessing a notable presence of Sri Lankan military personnel in the lead-up to the event.
In preparation for the event, the temple conducted preliminary rituals, including the oil pouring ceremony, yesterday.
This Kumbhabhishekam ceremony, which will take place after 50 years, saw the participation of many devotees in the preliminary rituals.
While devotees from Tamil Eelam and the diaspora have been gathering in large numbers to witness the event, a notable and concerning presence was that of the Sri Lankan military.
A significant number of Sri Lankan military personnel actively participated in the religious rituals, with the Commander of the Jaffna District himself attending the oil ceremony. Additionally, the military made food offerings during the event, further embedding itself into the religious proceedings.
The presence of religious orders arriving for the event has not overshadowed the increasingly visible involvement of the Sri Lankan armed forces in the region’s religious and cultural affairs.
The military’s participation in a sacred Hindu ritual, typically preserved for civilian and religious leadership, raises serious questions about the politicisation and militarisation of Tamil religious spaces.
The temple, which has undergone extensive restoration and renovation work ahead of the ceremony, now stands not only as a site of spiritual significance but also as a symbol of the state’s increasing influence over cultural and religious identity in the North.
