Kataragama temple

Kataragama temple කතරගම கதிர்காமம்
Maha Devale/Murukan Kovil
Kataragama temple කතරගම கதிர்காமம் Location in Sri Lanka
Name
Proper name	Ruhunu Maha Kataragama devalaya in Sinhala or Kathirkamam Murukan Kovil in Tamil
Geography
Coordinates	6°25′N 81°20′E / 6.417°N 81.333°E / 6.417; 81.333Coordinates: 6°25′N 81°20′E / 6.417°N 81.333°E / 6.417; 81.333
Country	Sri Lanka
Province	Uva
Location	Kataragama
Culture
Primary deity	Kataragama deviyo
History and governance
Date built	Approximately between 1100 - 15th century

Kataragamam temple (Sinhalese Katharagama; Tamil Katirkāmam) in Kataragama, Sri Lanka, is a temple complex dedicated to Kataragama deviyo. It is one of the few religious sites in Sri Lanka that is venerated by the Sinhala Buddhists, Hindu Sri Lankan Tamils, Sri Lankan Moors and the Vedda people. It is a collection of modest shrines, of which the one dedicated to Kataragama deviyo, is the most important. For most of the past millennia, it was a jungle shrine very difficult to access; today it is accessible by an all-weather road. Almost all the shrines— and the nearby Kiri Vehera— are managed by Buddhists, apart from shrines dedicated to Teyvāṉai and Shiva and mosques.

Up until the 1940s a majority of the pilgrims were Tamil Hindus from Sri Lanka and South India who undertook an arduous padayatra or "pilgrimage on foot". Since then most pilgrims tend to be Sinhala Buddhists and the cult of Kataragama deviyo has become the most popular amongst the Sinhalese people.

A number of legends and myths are associated with the deity and the location, differing by religion, ethnic affiliation and time. These legends are changing with the deity's burgeoning popularity with Buddhists, as the Buddhist ritual specialists and clergy try to accommodate the deity within Buddhist ideals of nontheism. With the change in devotees, the mode of worship and festivals has changed from that of Hindu orientation to one that accommodates Buddhist rituals and theology. It is difficult to reconstruct the factual history of the place and the reason for its popularity amongst Sri Lankans and Indians based on legends and available archeological and literary evidence alone, although the place seems to have a venerable history. The lack of clear historic records and resultant legends and myths fuel the conflict between Buddhists and Hindus as to the ownership and the mode of worship at Kataragama.