Okanda
Encyclopedia
Okanda is a small hamlet in the eastern coast of Sri Lanka
within the Ampara District
. It is known for its shrine dedicated to Hindu
deity Murugan
known as Okanthamalai Velayuda Swami Temple and for surfing
. Pilgrims from the Eastern Province stop over at the Murugan temple on their way to Kataragama temple
in the Southern part of the island.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
within the Ampara District
Ampara District
Ampara district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Ampara town...
. It is known for its shrine dedicated to Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
deity Murugan
Murugan
Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
known as Okanthamalai Velayuda Swami Temple and for surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
. Pilgrims from the Eastern Province stop over at the Murugan temple on their way to Kataragama temple
Kataragama temple
Kataragama temple in Kataragama, Sri Lanka, is a Hindu and Buddhist temple complex dedicated to Skanda-Murukan also known as Kataragamadevio. It is one of the few religious sites in Sri Lanka that is venerated by the Sinhala Buddhists, Hindu Tamils, Muslims and the indigenous Vedda people...
in the Southern part of the island.