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Keerimalai Springs – shrouded in myth and legend By Arundathie Abeysinghe   Situated adjoining the famous Keerimalai Naguleswaram Kovil (a shrine dedicated to Hindu God Shiva, considered as the destroyer of evil) in the northern coast of *Jaffna, this picturesque ancient stepped pool with bright aquamarine water set against the nearby Indian Ocean is a pool which according to locals has healing properties. At present, the site of Keerimalai Springs is a famous tourist attraction. According to locals, the *Kovil situated in close proximity to springs is an ancient Hindu Temple Complex as it has been mentioned in many Indian religious treatises such as Dakshina Kailasa Puranam and Skanda Puranam and the Kovil had been a pilgrimage center for South Indian Hindus. The pilgrims had bathed in the spring prior to visiting the Kovil. Keerimalai means ‘mongoose hill’ in vernacular Tamil. Situated towards west of *Palaly in Jaffna, Keerimalai Springs, ...