The Tissanayagam family(Mathakal), sometimes also spelled Tissainayagam, is a Jaffna Tamil family descended from Tissanayaka Mudali of Mannanpulam Mathakal. Tissanayaka Mudali (circa 1730) was a Tamil chieftain who lived during Dutch times (1658–1798).
The Tissanayagams are an ancient Jaffna Tamil family with extensive land holdings in and around the town of Mathakal on the northern coast of Jaffna, close to Keerimalai (where the famous hot springs are located). There is also a tradition in the area of Mathakal that it was the landing spot of Vijaya of Kalinga (ancient Orissa) when he and his followers first arrived in Sri Lanka around 543 BC. This story is given credence by the Mahavamsa which states that VijayaCommentary on Sinhala Kingship: Vijaya to Kalinga Magha. P. B. Rambukwelle, 1993, , . and his followers kissed the soil as they landed on the island. The red loam where they knelt down turned their palms to a copper colour, as a result of which they names the island "Tambapani". Keerimalai is one of the places in Sri Lanka where copper-coloured soil (loam) is found close to the coast.
Ravimohan Surendranath Tissanayagam, the current patriarch of the Tissanayagam family, it would seem has the ability to claim royal descent both from his paternal ancestry as well as from maternal ancestry through the Kumarakulasingha family.
This article deals with the documentary evidence that is available with family as well as traditions that were passed down verbally as was the custom of the people of Northern Sri Lanka and India.
Importance of the village of Mathakal
Introduction The village of Mathakal lies on the coast road from Kankesanthurai to Karainagar, 16 kilometers from Jaffna. It was once a very prosperous and fertile village, often referred to in publications as the "prosperous and prestigious village of Mathakal"Temples of Jaffna by S. Arumugam Today it is thought of as yet another sleepy fishing village of the Jaffna peninsula, for very few people know of its historical significance.
The Vaiya Padal, written in the 14th century by Vaiya the court poet of the Arya Chakravarthi's, which describes the colonization of the Jaffna peninsulaA book written around the 14th century by the court poet of the Aryachakravarti's states that Sethu Rayan of Kanjipuram and his retinue were the first settlers in Mathakal. The centre of the village is to this day referred to as Kanji and one of the lands of the village carry the thombu name "Sethu Rayan Kadu" corroborating the Vaiya Padal tradition.
Landing place of Prince Vijaya The arrival of Prince Vijaya, the first Aryan colonist, with his 700 followers, around 543 BC is one of the most important events in the history of Sri Lanka. The fact whether this was a historical event or a story to illustrate that the first civilized colonists came from the North of India has still not been established. Many historians believe that Vijaya landed on the North Western coast of Sri Lanka, in the proximity of Mannar / Putlam. See Tambapanni.
This theory is now challenged by some serious students of history (refer research paper by D.G.A. Perera entitled "New Insights for Locating the ancient city of Thambapani" presented at the 11th conference of the International Association of Historians of Asia.)
According to the Yalpana Vaipava Malai which records the Tamil tradition, the landing of Vijaya took place on the Northern coast of Sri Lanka, at a spot in close proximity to KeerimalaiYalpana Vaipava Malai by Mayilvagana Pulavar 1736 AD translated by C. Brito There are two suggested derivations for "Thambapani" the ancient name for Lanka.
According to the Mahavamsa, Prince Vijaya on reaching terra firma impetuously kissed the soil. As the soil in that area was red loam, his palms were stained a copper colour, and hence the name Thambapani which translates as copper coloured palms.Mahavama The Great Chronicle of Ceylon - Chapter XIX verse 28 Mudaliyar Rasanayagam in Ancient Jaffna states that nowhere else in Sri Lanka, can the red soil referred to in the legend be found in such close proximity to the sea, than in the area surrounding Keerimalai.Ancient Jaffna by Mudaliya C.Rasanayagam The other suggested derivation for the name Thambapanni, makes the claim for Keerimalai or its proximity as the landing place of Prince Vijaya still stronger. The name is said to have been derived from two words: "THAMBRA", which means good, and "PANNI", which means water. The fact that Keerimalai is celebrated for its fresh water springs and the additional fact that there in its vicinity are caves, where according to legend Kuveni hid Vijaya's companions, lends credence to this theory.
Identifying the ancient port of Jambukola According to the Mahavamsa Sangamiththa their disembarked with her precious cargo, a branch of the Great Bodhi tree, under which Buddha had attained Nibbana at the ancient port of Jambukola which is today identified as the tiny haven of Sambilthurai on the periphery of the village of Mathakal.
The area near Mathakal in the Jaffna Peninsula is in the closest proximity to the mainland of India. From the dawn of history war-like invaders as well as peaceful immigrants have landed here from the mainland. In an article titled "Nagadipa & Buddhist remains in Jaffna" by Dr Paul E. Pieris published in the journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch)Nagadipa & Buddhist remains in Jaffna" by Dr Paul E. Pieris published in the journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch) the distinguished scholar and historian says
"Its stands to reason that a country which is only 30 miles from India and which would have been seen by fisher men every morning as they sailed out to catch their fish would have been occupied as soon as the continent was peopled by men who understood how to sail. I suggest that the North of Ceylon was a flourishing settlement centuries before Vijaya was born"When approaching the Jaffna Peninsula from the Indian coast it is said that three prominent headlands become visible to a sailor. They are Kovalam in Karaitivu, Jambu Kovalam near Mathakal, and Kal Kovalam in Point Pedro. Jambu Kovalam near Mathakal has become Jambukola in Pali, which is the language of the Mahavamsa. Father Gnanapragasar in his study of the Place Names of Jaffna has come to the conclusion that the term Mathakal is derived from the Sinhala word "Meda-gala" the middle or central head-land. This may be correct as it was mentioned earlier that Jambu Kovalam is the middle headland of the three kovalams, that are seen as one approaches the coast of Jaffna.Place Names of Jaffna - Fr. Gnanapragasar
M. D. Ragavan in his book Tamil Culture in Ceylon while identifying Mathakal with the ancient sea port of Jambukola states as follows: "This port finds mention in Sinhalese chronicles as Jambukola, where landed the sacred Bo-tree sapling brought by Sangamitta. There is also the tradition that here was received a stone image of Parvati, reminiscent of which is its alternate name, Matha-kal, literally stone-mother, simplified into Mathakal."M. D. Ragavan.Tamil Culture in Ceylon.
Dr. P. Ragupathy is his book The Early Settlements of Jaffna also identifies Sambilthurai with "the famous port of Jambukola, mentioned in the Pali chronicles where Sangamittha landed with the saplings of the sacred Bo tree".P. Ragupathy, The Early Settlements of Jaffna, p. 50.
The Sacred Sri Maha Bodhi and Jambukola Vihara The MahavamsaMahavamsa Chapter XIX, Verse 60. account relates one of the miracles associated with the Sri Maha Bodhi, when the tree sprouted eight new shoots which grew into eight Bodhi saplings four hands high, in the presence of a large gathering of devotees. One of these saplings was planted where Sangamitta their disembarked. A land bearing the thombu name "Pothipulam" (land of the Bodhi) located on the coast of Mathakal, is identified by local legend as the point of disembarkation of Sangamiththa. This land is still owned by the Tissanayagam family. There used to exist on its precincts, an ancient Bo tree which was widely believed to be one of the original saplings. This tree and the old house called Pothipulam Valawu which had been taken over by the Sri Lanka Army, were both destroyed during the disturbances of 1983.
Devanampiyatissa is said to have erected a Vihara at the port of Jambukola called Jambukola Vihara and another; Tissa Maha Vihara in close proximity.Mahavamsa Chapter XX25 and XX26Mudaliyar Rasanayagam, Ancient Jaffna, p. 64 Rasanayagam in his book Ancient Jaffna states that is his day, the ruins of a Dagaba and Vihara could still be seen close to the port, which could have been the site of Jambukola Vihara. He also suggests that a site about a 100 yards opposite the Paralay Kandasamy Temple at Chullipuram perhaps could mark the site of Tissa Maha Vihara. This area which was once known as Tissa Maluwa is now popularly called Tissamalai by the Tamils of the area. However, the map issued by the surveyor generals office still carries the old name.
In the recent past the Government of Sri Lanka has built a Dagaba and a Vihara and erected a statue of Sangamiththa in the proximity of Mathakal.
Tradition among the Kurukulams There is a tradition in the Karawe community of Mathakal that the ships carrying Sangamiththa and her party were escorted from India to Jambukola were manned by them.C. Sivaratnam, Tamils in Early Ceylon, p. 162.C. F. Nawaratne, The Story of the Jaffna Kurukulams. This is mentioned in two publications: Tamils in Early Ceylon by C. Sivaratnam and the Story of the Jaffna Kurukulams by C. F. Nawaratne.
Mathakal and the Vaibava Malai The village of Mathakal gets mentioned in the Vaibava Malai when it relates the last phase of the Kingdom of Jaffna under the Aryachakravarthi Kings. It states that the Portuguese rewarded Prince Paranirupasinghe for his loyalty, by giving him back the seven villages over which he was co-regent with Sankili Kumara, these villages were:Brito, Yalpana Vaibava Malai, p. 31. Kalliyan-kadu Mallakam Sandiruppai Arali Achchuveli Uduppiddi Kachchai
To this they added the Capital City of Nallur and the village of Mathakal.C. Brito, Yalpana Vaibava Malai, p. 46. One could perhaps understand why the Portuguese gave him Nallur since it was the capital of his dynasty. It is curious as to why the village of Mathakal was presented to him.
The Vaibava Malai also states that the Portuguese after the annexation of Jaffna, in their religious zeal destroyed all the Hindu temples in the Kingdom. It adds that in deference to Paranirupasinghe they did not destroy the great temple at Nallur nor those temples in the vicinity of Keerimalai. Tradition has it that the temples they spared were: the Mavittapuram Kandasamy temple, the Paralai Kandasami temple, and the temples of Mathakal including the Pillayar Kovil in Kanji. Once again one could understand why they spared Nallur the premier temple. However it is intriguing as to why they spared the temples in the vicinity of Keerimalai. It is not implausible to surmise that this area was of special significance to Paranirupasinghe.
The Aryachakravarthi's claimed that they originated from Sethu and their titles included the prefix "Sethupathi" meaning Lord of the Sethu and "Sethu Kavalan" which means Guardian of the Sethu. They used the word "Sethu" on their coins and as a form of greeting on their inscriptions. Sethu is the land that bordered both sides of the Palk Straits. If this definition is correct Mathakal too is a part of the "Sethu". Once again it is pertinent to note that the original inhabitant of Mathakal according to the Vaiya Padal was Sethu Rayan