Dondra
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 Dondra Head Lighthouse | |
| Nickname(s): Devi Nuwara (God's Town), Thevanthurai (Lord's Port), Tenthurai (Southern Port) | |
  Dondra Location in Sri Lanka | |
| Coordinates:5°55′24.2″N80°35′22.9″E / 5.923389°N 80.589694°E /5.923389; 80.589694 | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Southern Province |
| Division | Devinuwara |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Council |
| Population | |
• Total | 48,253 |
| • Ethnic groups | SinhaleseTamils andMuslims |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone) |
Dondra (Sinhala:දෙවිනුවර / දෙවුන්දර,romanized: Devinuvara / Devundara,Tamil:தேவேந்திரமுனை/தேவந்துறை,romanized: Tēvēntiramuṉai/Tevanturai) is a settlement on theextreme southernmost tip ofSri Lanka, in theIndian Ocean nearMatara,Southern Province, Sri Lanka. TheDondra Head Lighthouse, ruins of several Hindu shrines ofTenavaram and aVihara (Buddhist temple) are located in the vicinity.
King Nissankamalla's (1187-1196 A.D.)Dambulla Vihara rock inscription is considered the oldest document that mentions the name Devi-nuwara which means the "City of Gods".[1][2] ThePali form of the name, Deva-nagara appears for the first time in theMahavamsa with reference to the reign of King Vijayabahu I (1058-1114 A.D.).[1][3] The name Dondra is the anglicized form of theSinhalese name Devi-nuwara or Devundara.[1]
According to some, the name Dondra is a form ofTheivanthurai (God's Port) ofTamil origin.[4]
Historically known as Devinuwara temple port town or Devinuwara temple town, Dondra was until the late 16th century a historictemple port town complex. A multi-religious site, its primary deity was the Buddhist godUpulvan and at its zenith was one of the most celebrated religious sites of the island, containing a thousand statues of the various sects of Hinduism and Buddhism.[3] Dating from the period ofDappula I, it was maintained primarily by Sinhalese kings and merchant guilds at the port town during its time as a popular pilgrimage destination and famedemporium, having extensive contacts with Asia, Africa, Europe and theMalabar Coast. The temple was built on vaulted arches on the promontory overlooking the Indian ocean.[5][6] Patronized by variousSinhalese and Tamil royal dynasties[citation needed] and pilgrims,Tenavaram temple became one of the most important places of worship. Built to theChera style ofclassical Dravidian architecture, it covered a vast area housing shrines to many Hindu deities including LordShiva and LordVishnu.[citation needed] Its rediscovered statue images and ruins from the 5th-7th century CE reflect the high points ofPallava art.[citation needed]
The centralgopuram tower of theVimana and the other gopura towers that dominated the town were covered with plates of gilded brass, gold and copper on their roofs, and the many shrines of the town were bordered with elaborate arches and gates, giving the entire temple complex an appearance of a city to sailors who visited the port to trade and relied on its light reflecting gopura roofs for navigational purposes.[7] Chroniclers, travellers and benefactors of the temples describe the entire town as the property of the temple and inhabited solely by merchants during the medieval period. The temple complex was visited byIbn Battuta in the 14th century andZheng He in the 15th century.[8][9]
The temple was destroyed in February 1587 by thePortuguese colonial DeSousa d'Arronches, who devastated the entire southern coast.[3][10] Its ruins of granite pillars that formed the shrines'mandapa can be found in the town spread over a considerable area. Much of the temple's stonework was thrown off the cliff into the sea. The temple's ancientLingam statue and sculpture ofNandi, excavated in 1998 provide early examples of Pallava Hindu contributions to the island.[citation needed]
The rebuilt temple toVishnu and theVihara still attracts pilgrims today and in the month of Esala (July–August) theDondra Fair andPerahara is held for eight days.
Dondra was once the capital of the Sri Lanka.[11]
In this context, it may be of interest to cite a few place-names in other parts of the Island, with a Tamil origin; in the Western Coast such as Puttalam, Ciläpam (Chilaw), Nirkolumbo (Nikumpalai, Negombo), Kalattarai (Kalutara), Pãnanturai (Pãnadura), Mätarai (Matara), Teivanturai (Dondra)...
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