Nilavarai Buddhist Ruins in Jaffna

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Bordering the well-known Nilavarai Bottomless Well (also called the Puttur Well) and the nearby Sivan Kovil lie the little-known ruins of an ancient Buddhist site—one that has faded from public memory but once bore significant religious and historical importance.

Although the ruins have not received much scholarly or public attention in recent years, a 17th-century reference by Portuguese missionary Philippus Baldaeus suggests that a large Buddhist monastery once stood here. Writing in his account (Baldaeus, 1672/1960, p. 316), he mentions:

“It remained under the Portugezen sway for upwards of 40 years, wrested from the Emperor by Philippo d’Olivero when he defeated the Cingalezen forces near Achiavelli by the great pagode, where there are still to be seen its ruins and a wonderfully large and wide well…”

This “great pagoda” and the ruins Baldaeus referred to may very well be those that stood in Nilavarai during the 16th century, prior to colonial dominance.

Archaeological Remains at the Site

Today, only the foundation of a small stupa and a single building can be seen beneath a large Bo tree near the Nilavarai Bottomless Well. However, the significance of this site has been noted by number authors and the Department of Archaeology during the 20th century.

A 1954 archaeology report documented the discovery of a fragmented limestone Buddha statue by a local cultivator approximately 250 yards (about 229 meters) west of the well, in Navakiri village—around one mile west of Puttur. The discovery was detailed by Prof. Senarath Paranavitana in 1955 (p. G32), who wrote:

“A limestone Buddha image, probably of the early period, was found by a cultivator about 250 yards west of the Nilavarai (Tidal Well) in Navakiri village, one mile west of Puttur in the Northern Province. Only the portion from the waist above has been preserved. It is 3 ft. 34 in. long, and the head itself 1 ft. 2 in. The nose is partly damaged. A portion of one hand indicates that the mudrā was abhaya. The face is pleasing, and the sculpture is of a high standard, not improbably of the Andhra period. Fragments of other portions together with some potsherds were found buried about 2 ft. deep in the earth which the owner of the land was digging up for cultivation.”

Before its removal to the Jaffna Museum, the statue was housed and cared for by the pijari (temple priest) of the adjacent Sivan Kovil, who had placed it in his temple. Paranavitana adds:

“The ready cooperation of the Government Agent enabled the find to be secured for the Jaffna Museum of the Department of National Museums. It is a worthy companion to the exhibits from the excavations of Sir Paul Pieris at Kantarodai, which is some half-dozen miles from Navakiri. The find is noteworthy, being the first since the time of Sir Paul.”

Today, the preserved torso of the Buddha statue is exhibited at the Jaffna Archaeological Museum, standing as a rare testament to the Buddhist heritage that once flourished in the Jaffna Peninsula—long before the region became predominantly Hindu under later rulers and colonial influence.

Though mostly forgotten, the Buddhist ruins of Nilavarai reveal yet another chapter in the layered cultural and religious history of Sri Lanka’s northern plains.

References

Baldaeus, P. (1960). A True and Exact Description of the Great Island of Ceylon, Being the Section Relating to Ceylon: A New and Unabridged Translation into English (P. Brohier, Trans.; 1st ed.). Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. (Original work published 1672)
Nandarama Thero, K., & Samarasinghe, D. P. (1967). සැඟවුන උතුර (1st ed.). Gunasekera and Company.
Paranavitana, S. (1955). Report of the Archaeological Survey of Ceylon for 1954: Education, science and art (G). Archaeological Survey of Ceylon.
Raghavan, M. D. (1971). Tamil culture in Ceylon: A General Introduction (1st ed.). Kalai Nilayam Limited.
Secretariat Office of the JCIC-Heritage. (2015). Survey Report on the Protection and Utilisation of Cultural Property in the Northern and Northeastern Provinces of Sri Lanka. Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage.

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Amazing Lanka Jaffna Guide

Map of Nilavarai Buddhist Ruins in Jaffna

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Travelling Directions to Nilavarai Buddhist Ruins in Jaffna

Jaffna can be reached through two principal routes. The most commonly used approach is via Elephant Pass, which has long served as the traditional gateway to the Jaffna Peninsula.

An alternative route reaches Jaffna from the direction of Pooneryn by crossing the Sangupiddy Bridge. This crossing follows what was historically the ancient route to the peninsula before the construction of modern highways. The route provides a connection between Jaffna and the Mannar region.

Route 01 from Colombo to Jaffna Through Kurunegala (Popular Route)	Route 02 from Colombo to Jaffna Through Puttalam and Pooneryn (Lesser Traveled Route)
Through : Kurunegala – Dambulla – Anuradhapura – Vavuniya Distance: 410 km Travel Time: 7-8 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.	Through: Puttalam – Thantirimale – Mannar – Poonaryn Distance: 408 km Travel Time: 8 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.

Route from Jaffna Town to Nilavarai Buddhist Ruins

Distance : 14 km
Travel time : 30 mins hours
Driving directions : see on google map