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Keerimale (Keerimalai) Freshwater Pool by the sea is one of the most popular destinations for travellers to Jaffna. But just before a spring near the Nakuleswaram Kovil lies an old worn down building with a fabulous arch gateway with only walls remaining. Any tourist would probably take this building to be an abandoned kovil building or a building destroyed during the war and wouldn’t take a second look.
But this building turns out to be an old Ambalama, locally known as Sirappar Madam, one of the largest if not the largest Ambalams in the Country. This is also one of the very few ambalams in the Jaffna peninsula.
The history of Keerimale Sirappar Madam is not known but was probably built for the pilgrims of Nakuleswaram Kovil and the Keerimale (Keerimalai) Freshwater Spring. This would have been a grand building at its height considering the current remains. The thick walls are made of coral stones and remains of a kitchen, store rooms, and chambers still can be identified today. The entrance to the premises is through an impressive arch with a pandol. The pandol is filled with various symbols and statues of Hindu tradition.
To reach this site from Jaffna Town you need to take the Palali Road. Ask for Keerimalai from the local folks or any army checkpoint. This is a very popular place due to the freshwater pond.
The remains of the Sirappar Madam in Keerimale (Keerimalai) have been declared an protected archaeological site and are open to the public.
Also See
- List of Ambalama’s in Sri Lanka
- Ancient Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of Keerimale (Keerimalai) Sirappar Madam (Ambalama)
The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites
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Driving Directions to Keerimale (Keerimalai) Sirappar Madam (Ambalama)
Jaffna can be reached through 2 directions. The first one is over the Elephant Pass which is the normal route to Jaffna. The other entrance is from Pooneryn over the newly built Sangupiddi Bridge. This road connects to Mannar.
| Route 01 from Colombo to Jaffna (Through Kurunegala) | Route 02 from Colombo to Jaffna (Through Puttalam) |
| Through : Kurunegala – Dambulla – Anuradhapura – Vavuniya Distance : 400 km Travel Time : 7-8 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map | Through : Puttalam – Anuradhapura – Vavuniya Distance : 400 km Travel Time : 7-8 hours Driving Directions : see on Google maps |
| Route from Jaffna Town to Keeramale Sirappar Madam (Ambalama) |
| Via : KKS road Distance : 20 km Travel time : 30 mins Driving directions : see on google map |
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