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Chilaw, North Western · 7.5808°, 79.8167°
A Shiva temple complex near Chilaw attested at least since about 1000 CE and patronised in turn by the kings of Kotte, Sitawaka and Kandy, reaching its present form under Kirti Sri Rajasinghe in 1753. One of the island's Pancha Ishwaram shrines, it comprises five structures including a Buddhist temple, with subsidiary shrines to Ganesha, Aiyanar and Kali.
What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.
Tamil tradition links the temple to Rama of the Ramayana, while Sinhala Buddhist myth tells of the goddess Kali coming ashore at Chilaw and settling at Munneswaram, where the deity Pattini restrained her from harming people.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Kotte, Sitawaka and Kandyan patronage
Answers only from cited records
Opening the line…