Sri Lankan temple tries its own unique approach at peace; says no more war for country

Sri Lankan temple tries its own unique approach at peace; says no more war for country
Sri Lankan temple tries its own unique approach at peace; says no more war for country
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The News Minute | August 27, 2014 | 05.20 pm IST

Situated in the city of Matara in southern Sri Lanka lies a brightly painted Hindu temple called the Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple. While political leaders attempt at reconciliation amidst criticism over alleged war-crimes and human rights abuse in the war-torn country, this temple has endeavored in its own way at ensuring lasting peace in the country – by lifting an age-old curse. 


According to priests and historians, the curse inflicted by a scorned woman on an exiled Indian prince was the reason behind decades of turmoil that claimed the lives of thousands of lives, said a Yahoo News report. 

The temple has been repeatedly attacked in the last thirty years over ethnic fights between the ethnic Sinhalese community, but was later rebuilt over the years, said the Yahoo report.

Legend has it that exiled Indian prince Vijay who was forced to move to the neighbouring island married local princess Kuveni. He later banished her and her two children, leading to the curse.

Priests and historians say that it is the curse inflicted by princess Kuveni on the prince and his future generations that has brought the downfall of Sri Lanka.

Mani Srinivasan, a priest in the temple told Al Jazeera that it was necessary to bring the couple together to lift the curse. “We brought the statues together and performed the necessary religious rites,” he told.

"We know all this talk of unrest will fade away by the end of this year. It is written in the stars," said Srinivasan to Al Jazeera hoping  that the country will not go back to war. 

The country has been in the middle of international criticism and a demand for investigation into war-time atrocities and reports of ethnic cleansing.

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