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Restoring the pearl of Thirukettisvaram: One man’s passion

By Shaveen Jeewandara View(s): 116

About seven miles north of Mannar town lies the ancient port city of Manthoddam, or Manthota – enveloped in a breezy haven, where the waves caress the golden sands of ‘Thambapanni’. It was a much sought after city in times gone by for its flourishing trade in pearl and shank fishery, but more importantly, it was home to a pearl above price -the magnificent Thirukettisvaram temple- revered by Hindus worldwide.

Professor S. Pathmanathan Pic by M. D. Nissanka

The temple was destroyed during the invasion by the Portuguese. Manthoddam lost its pearl, but centuries later, Hindus with the aim of bringing it back to its former glory had some of their greatest scholars launch the ‘Temple Restoration Society’.

The story of R. Namasivayam who was amongst the forerunners of this project is told in the book, ‘The life and times of R. Namasivayam’. The book, published under the aegis of his son Rajan Namasivayam, and compiled by Emeritus Professor Sivasubramaniam Pathmanathan speaks great volumes of the struggle to restore Thirukettisvaram.

“Namasivayam was a man of the old world, who was inspired by the education imparted from the home environment. He understood and gained the morals and values of Shaivism,” Prof. Pathmanathan said. “This is a collection of articles in both Tamil and English, on Namasivayam’s quest to restore Thirukettisvaram.”

Namasivayam: The believer

“Namasivayam moved equally well with all sectors of cosmopolitan Colombo, regardless of ethnicity and religion. He was very interested in the fine arts and his wife too being an avid follower of the arts, influenced him a lot. She was the eldest daughter of K. Kanagaratnam, the Deputy Minister of Education and Acting Auditor General in 1949,” said Prof. Pathmanathan.

“An attorney by profession, Namasivayam was a man of unsullied integrity, and he stood up against the authorities whenever procedures were violated. He was a great believer in following his heart’s passion and being undeterred in the face of adversity. The 1983 race-riots was a gruesome experience to Namasivayam, as it was to any other Tamil. His faith in a united Sri Lanka eroding, he took the decision to migrate to England.

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/130519/plus/restoring-the-pearl-of-thirukettisvaram-one-mans-passion-44892.html