Muthumariamman Temple

Muthumariamman Temple, also known as Arulmigu Sri Muthumari Amman Kovil is an ancient, colourful temple in Matala, Central Province, Sri Lanka. The name of the temple can be broken down into three parts, 'muthu' meaning pearl, 'mari' means rain and Amman means mother. Thus, this temple is dedicated to Mariamman, the goddess of rain and fertility. It is a magnificent, colorful temple, with tall towers, intricate carvings and realistic statues of gods and goddesses.

The temple area was originally part of a paddy field, with a small statue under a tree, visited by the Hindus in Matale.The temple was built in 1874 by Nagalingam, his son Ramanath and around 100 designers, painters and architects from Tamil Nadu, and funded by Nattukkottai Chettiar. It contains 1008 statues of Hindu gods, and a beautifully decorated, 108 feet high Gopuram (tower) called Raja Koburam. This Buddhist and Hindu temple was immensely damaged during the anti-Tamil riots in July 1983, but it was immediately restored. 


Muthumariamman temple has five decorated chariots which represent different Hindu deities. The chariots parade around the town in a ceremony called Ther or Vettai Thiruvizha. This ceremony takes place on the day before Medin Poya, or Poya Say in March.The magnificent, colourful temple, with its tall towers, intricate carvings and realistic statues of gods and goddesses make it the pride of religion in Sri Lanka. Apart from being religiously and culturally significant for the Ceylonese, Muthumariamman temple in Matale is also a frequently visited tourist destination.