Koneswaram Temple - Quiz
Koneswaram Temple
  • 1. On what date was the Koneswaram shrine destroyed by the Portuguese?
A) 14 April 1622
B) 14 April 1624
C) 14 April 1963
D) 14 April 1639
  • 2. Which Portuguese general was responsible for the destruction of the temple in 1622?
A) Filipe de Oliveira
B) Phillip II
C) António Bocarro
D) Constantino de Sá de Noronha
  • 3. What name did the Portuguese general use to refer to the Koneswaram temple?
A) Saraswathi Mahal
B) Pagoda Hill
C) Ati Konanayakar
D) Temple of a Thousand Pillars
  • 4. What structure was built using the stones and pillars of the destroyed temple?
A) A church
B) Saraswathi Mahal Library
C) Fort Fredrick
D) Ati Konanayakar temple
  • 5. Where were some of the temple's statues hidden by priests during the destruction?
A) In the fort
B) In the Saraswathi Mahal Library
C) In the surrounding area
D) In the sea
  • 6. Where is the Ati Konanayakar temple located?
A) Lisbon
B) Swami Rock
C) Thampalakamam
D) Jaffna
  • 7. What is the name of the rock where the Koneswaram temple is situated?
A) Fort Rock
B) Pagoda Rock
C) Konesar Rock
D) Swami Rock
  • 8. Who discovered underwater ruins of the temple in 1956?
A) V. Akilesapillai
B) Masilamanipillai Muttucumaru
C) Constantino de Sá de Noronha
D) Mike Wilson and Arthur C. Clarke
  • 9. In what year were the original temple statues discovered while digging a water well?
A) 1950
B) 1956
C) 1963
D) 1622
  • 10. What legendary object did Mike Wilson and Arthur C. Clarke retrieve from the ocean floor?
A) A stone elephant head
B) Swayambhu lingam
C) A brass lamp
D) A gold statue of Parvati
  • 11. According to legend, who originally housed the Swayambhu lingam in Koneswaram?
A) Jatavarman Veera Pandyan
B) Filipe de Oliveira
C) Kulakottan
D) King Raavan
  • 12. Which ancient dynasties left architectural influence on the temple?
A) Tamil, Pallava, and Chola
B) Jaffna, Vanniars, and European
C) Roman, Greek, and Persian
D) Portuguese, Dutch, and British
  • 13. What year was the restored Koneswaram shrine opened?
A) 1956
B) 1950
C) 1957
D) 1963
  • 14. What insignia is found on the stone inscription discovered by de Noronha?
A) Flower insignia
B) Elephant head
C) Double-Fish
D) Brass lamp
  • 15. Where are some of the artefacts and the translation of the prophecy currently kept?
A) Ajuda Library of Lisbon
B) Ati Konanayakar temple
C) Trincomalee museum
D) Saraswathi Mahal Library
  • 16. What is the title of the book published by Arthur C. Clarke regarding his findings?
A) Thirukonasala Vaipavam
B) Thirukonasala Puranam
C) Livro das plantas
D) The Reefs of Taprobane
  • 17. Which author wrote Thirukonasala Vaipavam in 1889?
A) Masilamanipillai Muttucumaru
B) Arthur C. Clarke
C) V. Akilesapillai
D) Mike Wilson
  • 18. The temple was destroyed two years after the 1622 attack in which year?
A) 1782
B) 1624
C) 1689
D) 1639
  • 19. What does the prophetic inscription state regarding the destruction of the temple?
A) The Franks shall break it down
B) The Dutch shall rebuild it
C) It will never be destroyed
D) The Portuguese are the rightful owners
  • 20. What was the name of the library destroyed by the Portuguese in the Tamil country?
A) Ajuda Library
B) Saraswathi Mahal Library
C) Vanniars Library
D) Thirukonasala Library
  • 21. Who was the Chola royal responsible for restoring the Koneswaram temple?
A) King Manu Needhi Cholan
B) King Vara Rama Tevan
C) Aggrabodhi I
D) Kulakkottan
  • 22. Which tank did Kulakkottan restore along with the temple?
A) Munneswaram tank
B) Kantalai tank
C) Vannimai tank
D) Tirukonamalai tank
  • 23. Who was the father of Kulakkottan?
A) Kavi Raja Virothayan
B) Manu Needhi Cholan
C) Tanniuna Popalen
D) Vara Rama Tevan
  • 24. Which king took steps to contain the Vanniars in 593?
A) Vara Rama Tevan
B) Aggrabodhi I
C) Kulakkottan
D) Manu Needhi Cholan
  • 25. The 'great Island of Coliadis' is mentioned in the work of which poet?
A) François Valentijn
B) Eustathius of Thessalonica
C) Dionysius Periegetes
D) Rufius Festus Avienius
  • 26. What is the name of the Mother-Goddess shrine in the temple compound?
A) Vanniar
B) Tirukkamakkottam
C) Kantalai
D) Coliadis
  • 27. According to François Valentijn, which king built a major temple to the God Videmal?
A) Vara Rama Tevan
B) Ellalan Chola
C) Kulakkottan
D) Manica Raja
  • 28. Who translated the Tamil poem by Kavi Raja Virothayan into English in 1831?
A) De Quieroz
B) François Valentijn
C) Simon Cassie Chitty
D) C. Rasanayagam
  • 29. Which historical figure is sometimes considered to be the potential inspiration for the mythical Kulakkottan?
A) Kalinga Magha
B) Manu Needhi Cholan
C) Dionysius Periegetes
D) Tanniuna Popalen
  • 30. What is the estimated date of origin for Koneswaram according to the Konesar Kalvettu?
A) 1580 BCE
B) 300 CE
C) 543 BCE
D) 1000 CE
  • 31. How many 'Iswarams' of Shiva are recognized in Lanka?
A) Five
B) Seven
C) Ten
D) Three
  • 32. Which prince is credited with renovating the Koneswaram temple and the Kantalai Tank?
A) Kulakottan
B) Kaviraja
C) Pandyan
D) Vijaya
  • 33. Which text mentions Koneswaram in 300 CE?
A) Vayu Purana
B) Konesar Kalvettu
C) Encyclopædia Britannica
D) Yalpana Vaipava Malai
  • 34. What is the name of the 18th-century Tamil chronicle that mentions Vijaya?
A) Vayu Purana
B) Konesar Kalvettu
C) Mahavamsa
D) Yalpana Vaipava Malai
  • 35. According to the text, which group of people likely established the temple according to Pathmanathan?
A) Ancient Pandyan soldiers
B) Mercantile communities
C) Kalinga migrants
D) Chola royalty
  • 36. In which epic is Koneswaram venerated as one of the three foremost Shiva abodes?
A) Nilaveli Inscription
B) Kanda Puranam
C) Dakshina Kailasa Puranam
D) Thirukonasala Puranam
  • 37. Who is the author of the Kanda Puranam?
A) Charles Pridham
B) George Turnour
C) Kullakottan Chola
D) Kachiyappa Sivachariar
  • 38. Which of these is mentioned as a Shiva abode alongside Koneswaram in the Kanda Puranam?
A) Trincomalee
B) Nilaveli
C) The promontory
D) Mount Kailash
  • 39. What is the Tamil rendering of the Sanskrit name Matsyakesvara?
A) Aayiram Kaal
B) Kona-Ishvara
C) Thillai Chidambaram
D) Macchakeswaram
  • 40. In which century was the Nilaveli inscription written?
A) 9th century
B) 11th century
C) 10th century
D) 12th century
  • 41. What is the term for the 'Thousand Columns' hall at the temple?
A) Kona-Ishvara Mandapam
B) Dakshina Kailasa Hall
C) Aayiram Kaal Mandapam
D) Matsyakesvara Hall
  • 42. To which deity is the rocky promontory originally dedicated?
A) Matsya
B) Thirumal
C) Vishnu
D) Siva
  • 43. Which ancient form of Siva is worshipped on the promontory?
A) Matsyakesvara
B) Kona-Ishvara
C) Thirukonasala
D) Thillai-Ishvara
  • 44. Who stated that worship of Ishvara is likely the most ancient form of worship on the island?
A) Kullakottan Chola
B) The author of Kanda Puranam
C) Charles Pridham
D) Kachiyappa Sivachariar
  • 45. Which text expounds on the significance of the Matsya shrine and the goddess's pagoda?
A) Nilaveli Inscription
B) Dakshina Kailasa Puranam
C) Kanda Puranam
D) Thirukonasala Puranam
  • 46. According to Professor S. Pathmanathan, what Sanskrit expression is the name Kōnesvaram derived from?
A) Konesar-Malai
B) Gokarnesvara
C) Gokarnasvamin
D) Thirukonamalai
  • 47. How many other important Shaiva shrines named Gokarna exist in India?
A) Two
B) Three
C) Five
D) Four
  • 48. In which modern-day Indian state is the Gokarna Shiva temple mentioned in the text located?
A) Kerala
B) Karnataka
C) Orissa
D) Tamil Nadu
  • 49. What is the name of the deity enshrined on the Mahendra mountain in Kalinga?
A) Ishvara
B) Gokarnasvamin
C) Konesar
D) Mathumai Amman
  • 50. In the Tamil language, what is the word for a temple?
A) Thiru
B) Malai
C) Kona
D) Kovil
  • 51. What is the goddess consort of Konesar called?
A) Gokarna Devi
B) Mathumai Amman
C) Koneswari
D) Malai Amman
  • 52. What is the Anglicized form of the old Tamil word 'Thiru-kona-malai'?
A) Kona-ma-malai
B) Swami Rock
C) Trincomalee
D) Koneswaram
  • 53. Which seventh-century poet referenced the town of Trincomalee in the Tevaram?
A) Onesicritus
B) Strabo
C) Eratosthenes
D) Sampandar
  • 54. What does the word 'Malai' mean in the context of the temple's name?
A) Sacred place
B) Mountain or hill
C) Coastal town
D) God
  • 55. Which Greek writer quotes Eratosthenes and Onesicritus regarding the island's geography?
A) Sampandar
B) Strabo
C) Pathmanathan
D) Konesar
  • 56. How high is the cliff (Swami Rock) where the temple is constructed?
A) 600 feet
B) 400 feet
C) 200 feet
D) 800 feet
  • 57. In which province of Sri Lanka is the Koneswaram Temple located?
A) Western Province
B) Southern Province
C) Eastern Province
D) Northern Province
  • 58. By what other name is Koneswaram Temple known?
A) Pancha Ishwaram
B) Dakshina-Then Kailasam
C) Thillai Chidambaram
D) Ketheeswaram
  • 59. What material was primarily used for the megalith that featured elaborate sculptural bas-reliefs?
A) Marble
B) Limestone
C) Sandstone
D) Black granite
  • 60. Who was the Sinhalese king described as a benefactor of the temple in the Konesar Kalvettu?
A) Gajabahu II
B) Parakramabahu I
C) Vijaya Bahu
D) Dutugamunu
  • 61. What is the term for the five sacred Shiva temples in Sri Lanka, of which Koneswaram is the most sacred?
A) Pancha Ishwarams
B) Dakshina Kailasam
C) Paadal Petra Sthalam
D) Konesar Kalvettu
  • 62. Which location is known as the 'west coast Ishwaram counterpart' to Koneswaram?
A) Kudalimalai
B) Ketheeswaram
C) Gokarna
D) Kantalai
  • 63. Which holy well is involved in the annual Koneswaram Temple Ther Thiruvilah festival?
A) Konesar Well
B) Papanasuchunai
C) Gokarna Well
D) Bhadrakali Well
  • 64. What is the Sanskrit name for the Trincomalee Harbour?
A) Bhadrakali
B) Konesar
C) Malaya
D) Gokarna
  • 65. What does the name Gokarna mean?
A) Mountain Peak
B) Southern Kailash
C) Cow's Ear
D) Gold River
  • 66. Which ethnographer wrote about the island in his work titled Indica?
A) Tirumular
B) Pliny
C) Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan
D) Megasthenes
  • 67. The inhabitants described by Megasthenes were called what?
A) Gonardiya
B) Kullakottan
C) Paleogoni
D) Pandyans
  • 68. Which deity is the Bhadrakali Amman Temple of Trincomalee dedicated to?
A) Hercules
B) Nandhi
C) Shiva
D) Bhadrakali
  • 69. Who wrote the Dakshina Kailasa Puranam in 1380?
A) Patañjali
B) Tirumular
C) Megasthenes
D) Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan
  • 70. What is the ancient Sanskrit name for the shrine mentioned in the Puranas?
A) Gokarneswara
B) Koneiswara Parwatia
C) Thiru-Gona-Malai
D) Then Kailasam
  • 71. Patañjali is identified as hailing from which region in his self-description?
A) Gonarda
B) Karnataka
C) Chidambaram
D) Malaya
  • 72. Patañjali and Tirumular were both disciples of whom?
A) Shiva
B) Bacchus
C) Nandhi
D) Hercules
  • 73. Which work did Patañjali write while visiting the Thillai Nataraja Temple?
A) Dakshina Kailasa Puranam
B) Yoga Sutras
C) Charana Shrungarahita Stotram
D) Tirumandhiram
  • 74. Which Hindu epic mentions Koneswaram is located at Gokarna bay?
A) Upanishads
B) Mahabharata
C) Ramayana
D) Bhagavad Gita
  • 75. According to the Mahabharata, what is the pilgrimage spot located before Koneswaram when traveling south?
A) Ravana Vettu
B) Naga Nadu
C) Gokarna bay
D) Tamiraparni island
  • 76. What object did Shiva make King Ravana drop while he was heaving the rock?
A) His shield
B) His crown
C) His sword
D) His scepter
  • 77. What is the meaning of 'Ravana Vettu'?
A) Ravana's Rock
B) Ravana's Temple
C) Ravana's Cleft
D) Ravana's Sword
  • 78. What is another name for Tamiraparni island mentioned in the text?
A) Kanyakumari
B) Naga Nadu
C) Kudiramalai
D) Gokarna
  • 79. Which literature mentions the Koneswaram temple in the late 6th century?
A) Tevaram
B) Konesar Kalvettu
C) Skanda Puranam
D) Kanda Puranam
  • 80. Who was the Nayanar Saint that praised the Koneswaram temple in the 8th century?
A) Kachiyappa Sivachariar
B) Raja Raja Chola I
C) Thirugnana Sambandar
D) Sundarar
  • 81. How many Shiva Sthalams are there in total according to the Tevarams?
A) 100
B) 275
C) 500
D) 1710
  • 82. How much land was granted to Koneswaram according to the 10th-century Nilaveli inscriptions?
A) 100 acres
B) 254 acres
C) 1,710 acres
D) 275 acres
  • 83. Who was the architect that aided construction activities at the temple during the Chola period?
A) Chodaganga Deva
B) Kachiyappa Sivachariar
C) Ilankeshvarar Devar
D) Muventavelan Kanavati
  • 84. Which military group protected the shrines and was associated with King Ilankeshvarar Devar?
A) Manigramam
B) Velaikkarar
C) Pallava armies
D) Five Hundred Lords of Ayyavolu
  • 85. In what year did King Chodaganga Deva visit Konamamalai?
A) 993 CE
B) 1131 CE
C) 1033 CE
D) 1223 CE
  • 86. When was the millennium-old Tamil inscription of the Chola Vatteluttu alphabet discovered?
A) 6th century CE
B) October 2010
C) 1970s
D) 1223 CE
  • 87. What insignia was implanted at Konamalai by the Pandyan forces?
A) Tiger emblem
B) Double Fish emblem
C) Lotus emblem
D) Lion emblem
  • 88. How many fish are sculpted on the ceilings of completed Pandyan temple gopurams?
A) Two
B) Three
C) Four
D) One
  • 89. What does a single fish on a Pandyan gopuram ceiling indicate?
A) A transition of power
B) Royal approval
C) Incomplete construction
D) A sacred offering
  • 90. What did King Sundara Pandyan use to renovate the temple gopurams?
A) Marble inlay
B) Silver plating
C) Bronze casting
D) Gold plating
  • 91. What was installed atop the gopurams by Sundara Pandyan?
A) Copper spires
B) Gold gilded Kalasam
C) Stone statues
D) Wooden flags
  • 92. What style of architecture is reflected in the work done by Sundara Pandyan?
A) Vesara architecture
B) Indo-Saracenic architecture
C) Dravidian architecture
D) Nagara architecture
  • 93. What is the alternative name mentioned for Swami Rock in the text?
A) Pandyan Peak
B) Vannimai Mountain
C) Kona ma-malai
D) Jaffna Hill
  • 94. Where is the 13th-century Tamil stone inscription recorded?
A) Jaffna city
B) Kankuveli village
C) Pandyan capital
D) Tambralinga coast
  • 95. The income mentioned in the Kankuveli inscription came from which districts?
A) Tambralinga districts
B) Vannimai districts
C) Pandyan districts
D) Gopuram districts
  • 96. Which dynasty kings paid homage to the Koneswaram shrine and offered gifts of gold and silver?
A) Pandya
B) Chola
C) Aryacakravarti
D) Vijayanagara
  • 97. Which river generated from Shiva's footprint flows towards Trincomalee?
A) Mavillie-Kankai
B) Cauvery-Kankai
C) Kavary-Kankai
D) Manikka-Kankai
  • 98. Which river flows towards the East and passes the temple of Kadirkamam?
A) Manikka-Kankai
B) Mavillie-Kankai
C) Ganga-Kankai
D) Kavary-Kankai
  • 99. Where does the Kavary-Kankai river pass into?
A) Thiruketheecharam
B) Rameswaram
C) Nallur
D) Koneswaram
  • 100. To which temple did Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan ship stone blocks for renovation?
A) Kadirkamam
B) Thiruketheecharam
C) Tenavarai
D) Rameswaram
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