12 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



at the other, with three cross roads. I visited it from Delft in 

 July, 1902. 



July 14. 1902. — In the evening I went to see the procession 

 round the temple, which started about 9 o'clock. The much- 

 bedizened image of the snaks goddess, sitting on the back of a 

 flaming red wooden stallion, holding in her hand a whip and flanked 

 on the right by a small Ganesa under a canopy consisting of a five- 

 headed cobra, and on the left by Kartigesar sitting on a bull, was 

 dragged round the temple to the accompaniment of tom-toms, 

 flageolets or instruments like them, and a chank. Torches con- 

 sisting of 3, 5, 7, or more lights headed the procession. There were 

 not many people as it is too early yet, and the wind is too high for 

 a large attendance to be expected. On the 19th and 20th there 

 will be enormous crowds if the wind goes down. On the 20th (full- 

 moon day) the images are taken round in perfect silence. 



Excepting the temples dedicated to her at Kopai North and 

 Navali, this was until lately the only temple to the goddess Naka 

 Tambiran in the Jaffna District ; but one has recently been started 

 at Chandilippay in the peninsula. 



The goddess is known as Naka Tambiran or Nakeswara, properly 

 Pushani (a jewel), and is a manifestation of Siva's wife. One of 

 Siva's ornaments and of his wife's ornaments is the cobra, but the 

 cobra is not the vehicle of either, but of Vishnu. It is not the snake, 

 but the goddess that is worshipped. 



The explanation of the origin of the cult given me was very hazy. 

 In the time of Vedi Arasan, the fisher king, who is said to have been 

 of Mukkuvar caste, a Brahmin found a stone in the sea off this 

 island, with a representation on it of a serpent coiling, and he 

 estabUshed this worship here. The Maniagar says he lias seen this 

 stone. It is on the north side of the island, and is exposed at low , 

 water. 



The Nayinas, who give their name to the island, are a caste of 

 people living at Rameswaram, who were shipwrecked on it. They 

 are temple tenants. 



The sacred cobra (nalla pambu) of the Tamils of Jaft'na is light 

 coloured, almost white, and is not more than 18 inches long. It 

 only appears on Fridays. It is only this cobra that is sacred, the 

 large cobras which are of pariah caste are not, and no Jaffna man 

 has any scruple about destroying them, but he will give milk to the 

 sacred cobra. 



One of the sanitary measures gravely carried out by Government 

 every year at the time of this festival is " not to allow the people to 

 shave their children's heads for devotional purposes within half a 

 mile of the temple." It is curious that this should be a necessity 

 at this festival only, I do not recollect it among the orders issued 

 with respect to other festivals in the Northern Province. 



