The Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil rises tall and proud, its heavily decorated, colourful walls and gleaming golden gopuram beckoning at any passerby. When you enter, you will see devotees deep in prayer, women wearing vibrant sarees and the men in white sarongs. The air is heavy with the smell of fresh flowers and burning incense. Normally there is a hushed silence as you make your way around the temple, however, during a pooja or the Nallur Kandaswamy Festival, the temple is full of noise and energy.

The temple was originally founded in 948 AD and is one of the holiest Kovils in Sri Lanka. This important Hindu temple should be at the top of your list. To make the most of your experience, try and visit the Kovil during a pooja.

Nallur Festival Theru in 2024 Holy Memories

The Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil Festival is proudly recognised as Sri Lanka’s longest holy festival and is a 25-day long festival dedicated to the Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of War. The iconic Nallur Hindu temple is found in Jaffna, and has roots that date back to the 13th century BC.

The festivities begin with the hoisting of the Holy Flag, which is made from the cloth given by a family member belonging to the Sengunthar Kaikolar Mudaliyar—traditionally a family of weavers. Thereafter, the whole of Jaffna bursts with life and colour. Devotees dressed in vibrant sarees and sarongs participate in the spectacle which takes place inside the kovil grounds by day and spills onto the dusty streets of Jaffna by evening. Images of the god Murugan are put on display and transported in floats fashioned after different holy animals like peacocks, cobras and swans.

The final event is the Chariot Festival in which the statue of Murugan is placed on a chariot and taken around Jaffna. The streets are full of action; drummers take the centre stage as they lead the procession with their loud beating mimicking a throbbing pulse, as the Kavadi dancers follow. The final day is certainly the most exciting, so be sure to make it on that day.

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