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Archaeological Ruin in Kiran Pillaiyar Kovil (කිරාන් පිල්ලෙයාර් කෝවිලේ පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)

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Archaeological Ruin in Kiran Pillaiyar Kovil

The archaeological ruins at the Kiran Piḷḷaiyār Kovil in Batticaloa sit within a 200-year-old Hindu temple grounds at Kiran Junction. The site features an enshrined ancient stone statue of Lord Piḷḷaiyār, alongside fragments of broken stone pillars and numerous ancient clay oil lamps scattered throughout the premises, indicating the kovil has been built directly over an earlier ancient structure.

The archaeological ruins are located within the premises of Piḷḷaiyār Kovil in Kiran, in the Grāma Niladhāri Division of Kiran West (203 A), within the Divisional Secretariat Division of Kōrale Pattu South (Kiran), Batticaloa District.

Access Route

The Piḷḷaiyār Kovil is situated at Kiran Junction, along the road leading to Thoppigala. The principal deity of the temple is Lord Piḷḷaiyār, also known as Lord Gaṇeśa.

Historical Background

The present temple is approximately 200 years old. However, based on the archaeological artifacts discovered within the temple grounds, it can be concluded that the Kovil was constructed over the remains of an earlier ancient structure.

Location and Nature of Archaeological Evidence

An ancient stone statue of Piḷḷaiyār has been enshrined inside the modern temple. The Kovil follows the traditional architectural layout, comprising a sanctum, a vestibule, and a porch.

Throughout the temple premises, numerous ancient clay oil lamps and fragments of broken stone pillars can be identified. These archaeological remains indicate the existence of an earlier structure at the site. It appears that, at a later period, a Hindu temple was established here, with its construction centered upon the remains of the ancient building.

Geographical Coordinates

The exact location of the site is as follows:

North Latitude: 7°51’49.0″N
East Longitude: 81°32’17.4″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 Ruin in Kiran Pillaiyar Kovil

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Traveling to the Archaeological Ruin in Kiran Pillaiyar Kovil

Route from Batticaloa to Archaeological Ruin in Kiran Pillaiyar Kovil

Through: Chenkaladi
Distance: 26 km
Travel time: 40 mins
Driving directions: see on Google Maps

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Archaeological Ruin in Kiran Pillaiyar Kovil (කිරාන් පිල්ලෙයාර් කෝවිලේ පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
The ruins at the Kiran Piḷḷaiyār Kovil in Batticaloa sit within a 200-year-old kovil. The site features an ancient stone Piḷḷaiyār statue, broken stone pillars, and clay oil lamps, proving the kovil was built directly over an earlier ancient structure. […]
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