Lying just outside the Jaffna town. The Nallur Kandaswamy kovil is by far the most impressive Hindu shrine in Jaffna. Dedicated to Lord Murugan, the present structure dates back to the Dutch era. Under whose regime it was reconstructed for the fourth time, and features a towering gopuram of red ochre studded with deities. Every year in August, the Nallur Kandaswamy kovil hosts a spectacular festival lasting twenty-five days. With the highlight being the penultimate night. Known as the Ther festival, on this night a statue of Lord Murugan is taken through the streets on a massive chariot pulled by devotees. Many worshipers perform extreme acts of self-mortification during the ceremony by suspending themselves off hooks through the skin of their backs and being paraded through the streets in an act of supplication.

Written by Jonathan Roelofsz for Travel Lanka Compass