
The Anurādhapura-period Kanandanai ruins in Kiran are located in a paddy field near the Maduru Oya. The site features five displaced 2-meter-tall stone pillars from an ancient building, along with scattered fragments of ancient bricks, indicating the former presence of a substantial structure.
Kanandanai Archaeological Ruins are located in the village of Muruthtthanai, within the Grāma Niladhāri Division of Muruthtthanai 209-A, in the Divisional Secretariat Division of Kōrale Pattu South (Kiran).
Access Route
From Kiran Junction, travel along the Thureiyadi Road. At Pulipanjakal Junction, turn right and cross the bridge over the Maduru Oya. Continue through Pondukalchenai, crossing the Maduru Oya once again. After traveling a further 1.1 km (0.7 miles), the archaeological site can be found on the left, approximately 100 meters (328 feet) from the road in the middle of paddy fields.
Historical Background
The surviving remains indicate that the ruins belong to the Anuradhapura period and represent the archaeological remnants of an ancient structure.
Location and Nature of Archaeological Evidence
The principal archaeological remains at the site consist of stone pillars that once formed part of an ancient building. These pillars have been displaced from their original positions as a result of agricultural activities carried out in the surrounding paddy lands.
A total of five stone pillars can be identified at the site, each standing approximately 2 meters (6.6 feet) in height. In addition, fragments of ancient bricks are scattered around the area, providing further evidence of the former presence of a substantial structure.
Geographical Coordinates
The exact location of the site is as follows:
North Latitude: 7°52’18.3″N
East Longitude: 81°27’11.7″E

References
- Exploration and Documentation Division (Ed.). (2017). පුරාවිද්යා ස්ථාන හඳුනා ගැනීමේ ගවේෂණ වාර්තාව, මඩකලපුව දිස්ත්රික්කය. Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka.
Also See
Map of the Archaeological Ruins at Mariamman Kovil in Muruthtthanai
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
Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.
Traveling to the Archaeological Ruins at Mariamman Kovil in Muruthtthanai
| Route from Batticaloa to Archaeological Ruins at Mariamman Kovil in Muruthtthanai |
| Through: Kiran – Muruthtthanai Distance: 50 km Travel time: 1.30 hour Driving directions : see on Google Maps |
0-09 m (89) 10-19 m (77) 20-29 m (47) 30-39 m (50) 40-49 m (25) 50-99 m (50) Ambalama (176) Ancient Anicuts (35) Articles (0) Asanaghara (8) Ashtapala Bodhi (5) Attraction Articles (3) Attractions (266) Beaches (10) Biosphere Reserves (3) Botanical Gardens (5) Bridges (35) Cave Art (13) Caving (7) Churches (30) Cities (9) Destinations (18) Dethis Pala Bodhi (27) Devalaya (51) Events (3) Flora and Fauna (82) Forts (52) Heritage (1930) Heritage Articles (27) Historic Events (7) History (7) Hot Springs (9) Hydro Heritage (104) Irrigation Articles (4) Islands (15) Kings of Sri Lanka (188) Kovils (29) Kuludage (11) Lighthouses (29) Memorials (57) Mile Posts (6) Misc (1) Mosques (4) Museums (15) National Parks (24) over 100 m (20) Pabbatha Vihara (13) Padhanagara (27) Personalities (211) Pillar/Slab Inscriptions (48) Popular Tourist Attractions (231) Pre Historic Burial Sites (23) Prehistory (42) Prehistory Articles (2) RAMSAR sites (6) Ravana (16) Reservoirs (72) Rock Inscriptions (36) Ruins in Wilpattu (11) Ruins in Yala (25) Santuaries (7) Sluice Gates (17) Stone Bridges (18) Strict Nature Reserves (3) Sumaithangi (3) Survey Towers (18) Tampita Vihara (242) Travel (5) View Points (24) Walawwa (13) War Memorials (26) Waterfalls (380) Wildlife Articles (28) Yathuru Pokuna (4)
Abhayagiri Monastery (20) Ampara District (196) Anuradhapura District (240) Badulla District (123) Batticaloa District (98) Colombo District (123) Galle District (76) Gampaha District (63) Hambantota District (124) Jaffna District (77) Kalutara District (53) Kandy District (217) Kegalle District (165) Kilinochchi District (13) Kingdom of Anuradhapura (88) Kingdom of Kandy (19) Kingdom of Kotte (9) Kingdom of Polonnaruwa (58) Kurunegala District (183) Maha Vihara (18) Mannar District (47) Mannar Island (10) Matale District (94) Matara District (53) Mihintale (22) Monaragala District (113) Mullaitivu District (39) Negombo (5) Nuwara Eliya District (126) Polonnaruwa District (138) Puttalam District (43) Ratnapura District (177) Trincomalee District (80) Vavuniya District (34) waterfalls in Sinharaja (3) z Delft 1 (5) z Jaffna 1 (20) z Jaffna 2 (26) z Jaffna 3 (14)


