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When we think of Negombo, we think of churches, not kovils.  The small entrance to the Siddhi Vinayagar Kovil, (dedicated to the elephant god Ganesha), near St Mary’s Church on Sea Street caught our eye for this very reason. The insignificant gate to this kovil doesn’t prepare one for the sprawling kovil complex inside, sections of which are still being constructed as expansions to the original building.  Piles of timber and bags of cement lie outside the main shrine and cloth banners featuring architectural drawings are hung all over the temple. On inquiry, we were told by an elderly gentleman at the kovil that the priests and the builders had all arrived from Jaffna to work at the Siddhi Vinayagar Kovil, the Ganapathi kovil of Negombo town.

A stylized statue of the Mouse, the vehicle of Ganapathi, faces the inner chamber where the statue of the god resides. At the back of the kovil there are other smaller places of worship for several other deities. In one corner is a statue of Gajalakshmi, dressed in green and flanked by elephants. The separate shrine for Naham or the cobra to the right of the Gajalakshmi shrine, could be due to the importance of the serpent as one of Ganapathi’s incarnations. All this together with brilliantly colourful carvings and statues on the dome,  the smoking incense, the fiery lamps and fragrant flowers set out in the main hall as offerings, make this kovil a vibrant place to visit.