INDICTMENT AGAINST SRI LANKA

Black July 1983: the Charge is Genocide

Hindu Temples Burnt

A feature of the violence was the burning of several Hindu temples.

''In Colombo, it was the season of the annual Vel cart festival, which coincides with the Katargama festival season, and attracts to it all the castes and all the classes and all the races of Sri Lanka. The Vel Cart had come from Pettah to the Bambalapitiya (Hindu) temple when the disturbances broke. The chariot was set on fire.''(N.Sanmugathasan, Sri Lanka: Racism and the Authoritarian State - Race and Class, Volume XXVI, A.Sivanandan and Hazel Waters, Institute of Race Relations, London)

The Hindu temples and related institutions which were damaged or destroyed during July 1983 included the following:

1. Viswanatha Sivan Temple in Trincomalee
2. Krishnan Temple in Trincomalee
3. Saneeswaran Temple in Trincomalee
4. Natesar Temple in Sivayogapuram, Trincomalee
5. Sri Tillaiambala Pillaiyar Temple in Anbuvalipuram,Trincomalee
6. Chithivinayakar Temple in Sinnatoduvai, Trincomalee
7. Vilankulam Pillaiyar Temple on Kandy Road, Trincomalee
8. Vyrutru Pillaiyar Temple on Kandy Road, Trincomalee
9. Pillaiyar Temple in China Bay, Trincomalee
10. Upparu Pillaiyar Temple in Trincomalee
11. Kitulootra Pallaiyar Temple in Kanniyai, Trincomalee
12. Kitulootra Murugan Temple in Trincomalee
13. Barathipuram Pillaiyar Temple in Pankulam, Trincomalee
14. Pillaiyar Temple in Pankulam, Trincomalee
15. Mudalikulam Pillaiyar Temple in Pankulam, Trincomalee
16. Ellai Kali Kovil in Pankulam, Trincomalee
17. Pillaiyar Temple in Panmadawachchi, Trincomalee
18. Papanasa Teertapillaiyar Temple in Trincomalee
19. Sri Pathini Amman Temple in Neelapalai, Kilivetti
20. Sri Kamakshi Ambal Temple in Jaffna
21. Saiva Maha Sabha in Kurunegala
22. Udupi Sri Muthuvinayakar Temple in Matale
23. Sri Muthumari Amman Temple in Matale
24. Muthuvinayakar Temple in Matale
25. Sri Chithivinayakar Temple in Matale
26. Sri Kadiresan Temple in Matale
27. Sri Poobalakrishnar Ashram in Matale
28. Sri Ganga Vinayakar Temple in Madulkelle
29. Kurinji Kumaran Temple, Peradeniya
30. Sri Muthumariamman Temple in Nawalapitya
31. Atmajothy Nilayam in Nawalapitiya
32. Athivinayakar Temple in Haldumulla, Haputale
33. Sri Sivasubramanya Temple in Bandarawela
34. Sri Kadiresan Temple in Badulla
35. Hindu Temple in Malangama, Badulla
36. Hindu Temple in Narangala, Badulla
37. Kali Temple in Rockhill, Badulla
38. Sri Poobalavinayakar Temple in Peliyagoda
39. Sri Balaselvavinayakar Temple in Maradana, Colombo
40. Sri Devi Karumari Amman Temple in Maligawatte, Colombo
41. Venkateswara Mahavishnu Moorthy Temple in Dehiwala, Colombo
42. Srimath Arunachaleswara Devasthanam in Colombo
43. Ramakrishna Mission, Colombo
44. Kandasamy Temple in Panadura
45. Sri Subramanya Temple in Matara
46. Hindu Pilgrims' Rest in Matara

see also Destruction of Hindu Temples in Tamil Eelam and Sri Lanka - M.Neiminathan

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