Nainativu Nagapooshani Amman Temple

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Nainativu Nagapooshani Amman Temple
நயினாதீவு நாகபூசணி அம்மன் கோயில்
Religion
Affiliation	Hinduism
District	Theevakam, Jaffna
Province	Northern
Deity	Sri Nagapooshani Amman and Sri Nayinaar Swami
Festivals	Mahostavam (Thiruvizha), Navaratri, Shivaratri, Aadi Pooram
Governing body	Nainai Nagapooshani Amman Devasthaanams
Features	Tower: Rajaraja Gopuram Temple tank: Kailasa-roopa Pushkarani Amrutha Gangadharani Theertham Temple tree: Banyan Tree
Location
Location	Nainativu
Country	Sri Lanka
Location in the Northern Province
Geographic coordinates	9°37′8.6″N 79°46′27.4″E / 9.619056°N 79.774278°E / 9.619056; 79.774278
Architecture
Type	Dravidian architecture
Creator	Lord Indra
Completed	Unknown
Inscriptions	Tamil Inscription of Parâkramabâhu I
Website
www.nainainagapooshani.com

Nainativu Nagapooshani Amman Temple [Tamil: நயினாதீவு நாகபூசணி அம்மன் கோயில், romanized: Nayiṉātīvu Nākapūcaṇi Am'maṉ Kōyil - Meaning: Nainativu (island/city of the temple); Nagapooshani (The Goddess who wears snakes as jewellery); Amman (Goddess)] is an ancient and historic Hindu temple located amidst the Palk Strait on the island of Nainativu, Sri Lanka. It is dedicated to Parvati who is known as Nagapooshani or Bhuvaneswari and her consort, Shiva who is named here as Nayinaar. The temple seems to have been mentioned in the Brahmanda Purana^{[citation needed]}. The temple complex houses four gopurams (gateway towers) ranging from 20–25 feet in height, to the tallest being the eastern Raja Raja Gopuram soaring at 108 feet high. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, such as Manimekalai and Kundalakesi. The present structure was built during 1720 to 1790 after the ancient structure was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1620. The temple attracts around 1000 visitors a day, and approximately 5000 visitors during festivals. The annual 16-day Mahostavam (Thiruvizha) festival celebrated during the Tamil month of Aani (June/July) - attracts over 100,000 pilgrims. There is an estimated 10,000 sculptures in this newly renovated temple.

This temple is also called by this names by many devotees:

நயினை ஸ்ரீ நாகபூசணி அம்பாள் கோயில் - Nayinai Sri Nagapooshani Ambaal Temple

Nayinai is the meaning of Nainativu in short or also the Shiva name, Nayinaar

நயினை (romanized: Nayinai) is written "Nainai" or "Nayinai" in English language. Both versions are correct, but "Nayinai" is more correct as it is representing the ய் sound in Tamil (equivalent to y).