COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The Sri Lanka Air Force has denied that it plans to install a radar system within the Fort Frederick precinct in Trincomalee, rejecting concerns raised by trustees of the Thirukoneswaram Temple, who had urged the public to oppose what they called a fresh encroachment on sacred land.
Air Force officials, speaking to Jaffna Monitor on condition of anonymity in line with service protocols, said no proposal had been advanced to place radar equipment within the temple grounds or on land claimed by the trustees. They added that the Air Force was not pursuing any installation that would affect the shrine or its immediate surroundings.
The denial follows remarks by a member of the temple’s Board of Trustees, Mr. Jeyasankar, who called on the public on Friday to resist what he said was a planned radar installation. He added that successive security deployments over the years had reduced the extent of land under temple control.
“If land is now allocated for the Air Force as well, we will be left asking what remains of our land,” Mr. Jeyasankar said.
Perched on a rocky promontory overlooking the Indian Ocean, the temple is among Sri Lanka’s most prominent Hindu shrines and is revered as one of the Pancha Ishwarams — the island’s five ancient abodes of Lord Shiva. It draws thousands of devotees from across Sri Lanka and India and remains central to the religious and cultural life of the region.
Mr. Jeyasankar said the temple’s holdings extend to about 247 acres, citing a copper plate grant from the British colonial period as evidence of longstanding land rights. He said earlier security installations had progressively reduced those holdings, citing the closure of a traditional tank at the temple’s entrance, the establishment of a nearby police headquarters, and the construction of a naval facility on Swami Rock, locally known as Nandi Malai.
He questioned why the temple precinct would be considered for such an installation when other locations in the region, including China Bay, could accommodate radar infrastructure without affecting a place of worship.
“There is a need to understand the intention behind choosing this location,” he said.
Air Force officials said reports suggesting otherwise were inaccurate and risked creating unnecessary concern. They said no formal request had been made for land within the Fort Frederick area and that any official position would be communicated through the service’s media directorate if required.
Trincomalee, home to one of the world’s deepest natural harbors, has long hosted a significant military presence, with facilities operated by the army, navy, police and air force across the district. Civil society groups and religious organizations have, over the years, raised concerns about access restrictions and the impact of security infrastructure on historically and religiously significant sites in the area.
It could not be independently established how temple trustees came to believe that a radar installation was planned within the precinct. Officials have not publicly detailed any installation plans in the wider area.
