Confined within the Fort Frederick, the Koneswaram Temple (Temple of a thousand pillars) is an icon of Sri Lankan heritage. Once a multi-columned structure, the temple was in some measure, destroyed during the Portuguese period. The temple that we see today was built in the 1950s, striving to return to its former glory.
The temple holds a towering statue of Lord Shiva, the sacred Nuga tree dedicated to Lord Shiva and obvious remains of the original temple.
The exact origins and creator of the temple remains a mystery, but it is said to be over 3,000 years old.