Keerimalai Spring (Keerimalai Naguleswaram)
About This Place
Keerimalai Spring (Keerimalai Naguleswaram)
An ancient sacred freshwater spring at the northern tip of the Jaffna Peninsula, immediately adjacent to the sea. The spring pools have been a pilgrimage site for thousands of years, believed to have miraculous healing properties — particularly for skin diseases. Adjacent to the spring is the ancient Naguleswaram Shiva temple, one of the Pancha Ishwarams (five most sacred Shiva temples in Sri Lanka). The spring water remains fresh despite being surrounded by the sea.
Difficulty
🧭 easy
Best Time
📅 November to April (dry season in north); full moon days for pilgrimage.
Safety Rating
Accessibility & Visitor Info
Located near Kankesanthurai, accessible by road from Jaffna (20 km); open pool for bathing; dress modestly; temple complex adjacent.
📖 Legends & Stories
According to Hindu legend, a princess with a horse's face bathed in this spring and her face was miraculously restored to human beauty. This is why the spring is called Keerimalai ('Kiri' = horse face, 'Malai' = hill in Tamil). The Naguleswaram temple was repeatedly destroyed — by Portuguese colonists in the 17th century and by sea erosion — but has always been rebuilt by devotees.
Location
📍 Find It Here
9.816700, 80.033300
Community
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