Nallur Kovil is one of the most significant Hindu temples in the District of Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It stands in the town of Nallur. The presiding deity is Lord Muruga in the form of the holy Vel. The idol of the Nallur Devi or goddess was gifted to the temple in the 10 century CE by the Chola queen Sembiyan Mahadevi, in the style of Sembian bronzes.

The fourth and the present Temple was constructed in 1749 A.D. during the benign Dutch colonial era by one Krishna Suba Iyer and Ragunatha Maapaana Mudaliyar in the 'Kurukkal Valavu', which is the original temple premise. 

Initially the Temple was built using bricks and stones, and had a cadjaned roof.  The original shrine had only two main halls and didn't have any clock tower, or any surrounding courtyard and an enclosing wall, or any ornately carved towers or gopuram.