Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

1122 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Early modern · Hindu · Sri Lanka

Nainativu Nagapooshani Amman Temple

Nainativu island, Jaffna, Northern Province · 9.6193°, 79.7723°

Parvati as Nagapooshani (Bhuvaneswari), with Shiva as NayinaarUndeterminedShakti Peetha
Sacred since
1720 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
rebuilt 1720-1790 after 1620 destruction
Undetermined

History & significance

The principal Hindu temple of Nainativu island off the Jaffna peninsula, counted among the Shakta pithas of the goddess and a major cultural landmark for Sri Lankan Tamils. The present temple was raised between 1720 and 1790 after the Portuguese destroyed the earlier shrine in 1620.

Sthala katha — the legend

The temple's name derives from Naka, the cobra, reflecting a long local tradition of serpent worship on the island.

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Vishnupad Temple
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Baidyanath Temple (Baba Baidyanath Dham)
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main shrine dated 16th c.; site ancient
Jwalamukhi Devi Temple
Jwalamukhi, Kangra · India
rebuilt 17th–19th c. (dome gilded by Ranjit Singh)
Ambaji Mata Temple
Ambaji, Banaskantha · India
renewed over centuries; gold-spired modern shikhara

Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Undetermined