The Athi Lingam consecrated to Lord Siva in Vedukkunaari hill in Nedunkeni, Vavuniya has been reported to be destroyed and discarded in the shrubbery surrounding the temple. Additionally many idols such as the idols of Pillaiyaar, the Mother Goddess Amman, and village deity Bhairavar were stolen from the temple as well.
This incident occurred following the many obstacles the Police Department and the Sri Lankan Archaeological Department had put up in the recent past including a case filed at the Vavuniya Magistrate Court, in 2021. The priest of the temple and an administrator had been arrested. While this case has been investigated, the court has granted bail to the priest and the administrator and ordered the Police to conduct further investigation to determine the “real” culprits.
Following the destruction and theft of idols, a protest was held near the Jaffna Hindu College, condemning the act.
This incident in light of recent destruction of the Athi Sivan Iyanar Temple in Kurunthurmalai hill in Thannimurippu, Mullaitivu and the near-completion of a complex Buddhist temple with the full cooperation of the military, has outraged locals.
