Heritage

Archaeological Ruins near Mirankadawai Reservoir in Kiran (මිරාන්කඩවෛ වැව අසළ පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)

Located below the eastern bund of Mirankadawai Reservoir, this late Anuradhapura-period archaeological site contains five original stone pillars alongside scattered bricks and tiles. Damaged by agriculture and currently used as a cattle shed, the site has been destroyed by farming activities.

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The Archaeological Ruins near Mirankadawai Reservoir are located in Mirankadawai village, within the Grāma Niladhāri Division of Kudumbimalai (209-D), in the Divisional Secretariat Division of Kōralai Pattu South (Kiran).

Access Route

The site can be reached from Kiran Junction by travelling via Pulipanchakal along the road leading towards Kudumbimalai village on the left. From there, continue for approximately 1 km along the paddy field road near the Murugan Kovil in Mirankadawai to reach the Mirankadawai Reservoir. The ruins are located in the paddy area below the reservoir bund.

Historical Background

Based on the structural characteristics of the ruined monuments and the scattered archaeological artifacts, the site provides evidence of a Buddhist monastery dating to the late Anuradhapura period.

Location and Nature of Archaeological Evidence

The paddy field area supplied by the waters of the Mirankadawai Reservoir extends towards the north. The ruins are located within the paddy area near the eastern end of the reservoir bund. Evidence of an ancient structure remains here, including five stone pillars preserved in their original context.

Roughly hewn fragments of pillars, bricks, and tile pieces belonging to the structure are scattered across the ground. The site has been damaged by cultivation activities and is currently being used as a cattle shed.

The Mirankadawai Reservoir forms part of a small rural reservoir system distributed throughout the Kudumbimalai area. It is fed by small waterways flowing down from the elevated terrain to the south, while its bund is oriented in an east–west direction. The reservoir can be identified as an ancient construction that was built contemporaneously with other reservoirs in the surrounding area.

Geographical Coordinates

The exact location of the site is as follows:

North Latitude: 7°50’06.6″N
East Longitude: 81°24’37.2″E

References

Exploration and Documentation Division (Ed.). (2017). පුරාවිද්යා ස්ථාන හඳුනා ගැනීමේ ගවේෂණ වාර්තාව, මඩකලපුව දිස්ත්රික්කය. Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka, p. 340

Also See

Map of the Archaeological Ruins near Mirankadawai Reservoir in Kiran

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Traveling to the Archaeological Ruins near Mirankadawai Reservoir in Kiran

Route from Batticaloa to Archaeological Ruins near Mirankadawai Reservoir in Kiran

Through: Chenkaladi – Kiran
Distance: 47 km
Travel time: 1.30 hours
Driving directions: see on Google Maps

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Archaeological Ruins near Mirankadawai Reservoir in Kiran (මිරාන්කඩවෛ වැව අසළ පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
Located below the eastern bund of Mirankadawai Reservoir, this late Anuradhapura-period archaeological site contains five original stone pillars alongside scattered bricks and tiles. Damaged by agriculture and currently used as a cattle shed, the site has been destroyed by farming activities. […]
Mirankadawai Paddy Field Archaeological Ruins in Kiran (මිරාන්කඩවෛ වෙල්යාය කෙලවර පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
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