Heritage

Ruined Site 1 near Ancient Niravikulam Reservoir in Mannar (නීරාවිකුලම් වැව අසල නටබුන් අංක 1)

54 years ago3 months ago05 mins

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(10 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Ruined Site 1 near Ancient Niravikulam Reservoir in Mannar

Niravikulam Reservoir is an ancient reservoir in the village of Keeriduddan in Keerisuddan GS division in Madhu Divisional Secretariat. Today this reservoir lies abandoned in the middle of the jungle totally consumed by the jungle.

Then Archaeological Commissioner HCP Bell reported about the status of the reservoir as well as Buddhist ruins found around it. Based on this description and the ruins currently found inside this jungle, there may have been a Monastery spread over a large area in the ancient past.

Bell writes;

Got a guide and went to Niravi-kulam. There is a great breach and the bed of the tank is nearly all forest, but the bund is a large one, and there must at one time have been a considerable sheet of water.
On the bund, at the eastern end, there are a few wedged pillars which may have been almost anything. There is not enough left to judge. Half a mile from this, below the bund, there is a well preserved ruin which originally had 24 stone pillars. Portions of the brick walls are standing, and are in style somewhat anterior to the majority of the buildings at Polonnaruwa, being laid with a little mortar. In the neighbourhood bricks and clusters of pillars testify to the existence of a somewhat extensive monastery.
Archaeological Survey of Ceylon. North-Central, Northern, and Central Provinces. Annual Report, 1907

The location referred to as “Ruined Site 1” is accessible by taking a right turn at Madhu Junction on the Medawachchiya-Mannar Road and continuing towards Palampiddi village through Madhu town. Follow the Palampiddi-Iluppukulam Road until you reach Keerisuddan junction. Take a left turn at Keeriduddan Junction and travel a distance of 3 km. At the bridge, make a left turn and continue approximately 300 m into the jungle to arrive at the ruins.

There are ruins of a building containing 12 stone pillars. A pillar is 34 cm in length and width and the height is 55 cm. The pillars are roughly hewn and indicate buildings of the Anuradhapura era. The building is 5.40 meters long and 5.80 meters wide. It is difficult to identify the use of the building based on the architectural features. There are a few fragments of bricks seen. There are two stone pillar bases in the surrounding area. These are 55 cm X 58 cm in length and width respectively and have a 15 cm square hole, 11 cm deep.

References

Bell, H.C.P. (1911) Archaeological Survey of Ceylon. North-Central, Northern, and Central Provinces. Annual Report, 1907. Colombo, Ceylon: H. C. Cottle.
Asanga, M.V.P.K. and Nishantha, I.P.S. (2018) in මන්නාරම දිස්ත්‍රික්කය. Colombo , Sri Lanka: Department of Archaeology, pp. 122-123.

Also See

Map of Ruined Site 1 near Ancient Niravikulam Reservoir in Mannar

Please click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map (ගූගල් සිතියම් පහලින්)

Show Location (ගූගල් සිතියම)

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.

Driving Directions to Ruined Site 1 near Ancient Niravikulam Reservoir in Mannar

From Vavuniya to Ruined Site 1 near Ancient Niravikulam Reservoir

Via : Palampiddi Road
Total Distance : 37 km
Travel Time: 60 Minutes
Driving Directions : View on Google Map

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Kilinochchi War Memorial (කිලිනොච්චි යුධ ස්මාරකය)
The Kilinochchi War Memorial was built in the centre of Kilinochchi town in 2010 to commemorate the Sri Lankan military's capture of the town from the LTTE in 2009, a pivotal moment in the long and bloody Sri Lankan Civil War. The memorial itself is a rectangular cuboid made of concrete pierced by a torpedo with a lotus flower rising out of the cracks at the top. […]
Puthukkudiyiruppu Victory Monument: A Symbol of Resilience and Reconciliation
Nestled amidst serene surroundings, the Puthukkudiyiruppu Victory Monument stands as a silent witness to one of the most significant chapters in Sri Lanka's history – the liberation of the civilians of the North and East parts of the country from the clutches of the ruthless terrorists of the LTTE after a brutal war that plagued the island nation for over three decades. […]
Muruthawa Ambalama (මුරුතව අම්බලම)
Muruthawa Ambalama stands out due to its distinctive ground plan. It is constructed in a hexagonal shape with short walls. Twelve cylindrical pillars support the roof, with two pillars positioned at each corner of the hexagon. Likewise, the roof itself is hexagonal and consists of two layers. The structure features two entrances on the short walls, one at the front and one at the back. […]
Unawatuna Beach : A Slice of Paradise (උණවටුන මුහුදු වෙරළ)
Unawatuna's golden sands are perfect for soaking up the sun, building sandcastles, or reading a book with the sound of waves crashing in the background. The clear waters are ideal for swimming, and the presence of lifeguards ensures a safe and relaxing experience. […]
Thalpe Beach in the Southern Province (දකුණේ තල්පේ මුහුදු වෙරළ)
Thalpe offers a refreshing escape from the hustle and bustle of other beaches. If you crave a serene atmosphere for relaxation, this is your spot. Imagine long stretches of golden sand, calm blue waters lapping at the shore, and the gentle rustle of palm leaves overhead. Here, you can truly unwind and soak up the beauty of Sri Lanka's coastline. […]
Urakanda Petroglyphs (ඌරාකන්ද ප්‍රාග් ඓතිහාසික සීරුම් චිත්‍ර)
The natural cave with petroglyphs in Urakada was first discovered by the former Director General of Archaeology, W.H. Wijayapala in 1983. Petroglyphs also called rock engravings which have been achieved using some form of sharp instrument, on the face of a rock or a cave wall. In Sri Lanka, only seven such sites have been discovered. […]
Lost Ambalama of Moratuwa (මතකයෙන් ගිලිහුණු මොරටුව අම්බලම)
The Ambalama located in Kurunduwatta. Moratuwa, along with its exact location, has faded into obscurity. Yet, it holds historical significance as it was constructed by the philanthropist Jeronis de Soysa, father of Charles Henry De Soysa, some years prior to 1853. Alongside the Ambalama structure, a parcel of land adorned with diverse trees was generously donated to serve as its surrounding garden. […]
IPKF Memorial in Colombo Sri Lanka (කොළඹ ඉන්දියානු සාම සාධක හමුදා ස්මාරකය)
The IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force) Memorial constructed by the Sri Lanka Navy located in Jana Kala Kendraya premises near the parliament complex, commemorates the soldiers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force who lost their lives during Operation Pawan, which was part of the efforts to intervene in the Sri Lankan Civil War. The monument was built in 2008, one year before it decisively defeated the LTTE. […]
Diyaluma Ella Falls (දියලුම ඇල්ල)
At 171m, Diyaluma Ella Falls is the third highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. The torrent of water cascades down to the Koslanda Plateau and during rain it is a spectacular sight. […]
The Trail to ‘Devil’s Staircase’ (යක්ෂයාගේ පියගැටපෙළ ඔස්සේ ඔහියට)
The track through the Devils Staircase is one of the most popular hiking and jeep tracks in the hills of Sri Lanka. The difficulty levels and the spectacular view of the green mountains of Sri Lanka has made this a hikers paradise but only the most ardent hikers will undertake this 13 km hike. […]
Demodara Nine Arch Bridge (දෙමෝදර අහස් නමයේ ආරුක්කු පාලම)
Located almost 3100 feet above the sea level, the 100ft high Demodara Nine Arch Bridge is an engineering marvel which was constructed in 1913 without the use of single piece of steel. […]
Bopath Ella Falls (බෝපත් ඇල්ල)
The Bopath Ella Falls cascades in the shape of a bo tree (hence its name) and is the most comprehensively studied fall in Sri Lanka. Its source is the Kurugana River that later joins the Kaluganga River at Kurugaomaodara. […]
Blow Hole (Hummanaya) at Dikwella (දික්වැල්ල හුම්මානය)
Lying in Dikwella this blowhole (Hummanaya) explodes once in every 10-15 minutes of water pressure build up giving a stunning spray which can reach as high as 120 meters […]
Batadomba Lena Caves (බටඳොඹ ලෙන)
Batadomba lena, or cave, is associated with the Balangoda Apeman or the Balangoda Manawaya and has yielded the earliest evidence at 31,000 BP of anatomically modern man in South Asia […]
Baobab Tree at Mannar : Tree with the largest trunk in Sri Lanka (මන්නාරම බයෝබැබ් ගස)
This Baobab tree at Mannar is calculated to be 734 years old and is the largest tree in Sri Lanka in terms of the circumference which is 19.5 meters. […]
Aluthnuwara Dedimunda Devalaya at Mawanella (අලුත්නුවර දැඩිමුන්ඩ දේවාලය)
Aluthnuwara Dedimunda Dewalaya, built during Parakramabahu II dedicated to Dedimunda, A powerful deity who stood beside Buddha when Mara was trying to stop prince Siddhartha attaining the blissful state. […]
Polonnaruwa Dimbutulu Gala Ruins near Parakrama Samudraya (පරාක්‍රම සමුද්‍රය අසළ දිඹුටුලු ගල නටබුන්)
There is a ruined stupa at the top of the open Dimbutulu Gala rock hill, a 16-step carved staircase on the bedrock at the south end, and a platform trace that seems to be a building trace at the northwest end. […]
Polonnaruwa Kok Doowa (Kokgala) Island Ruins in Parakrama Samudraya – පරාක්‍රම සමුද්‍රයේ කොක් දූව බෞද්ධ නටබුන්
Kok Doowa is a small rocky island inside the massive Parakrama Samudraya reservoir in Polonnaruwa built by king Parakramabahu the Great (1153-1186). Kok Doowa means the 'island of storks' due to large number of birds, specially storks nesting on the rock. […]
Dutch Reformed Church of Matara (මාතර රෙපරමාදු පල්ලිය)
The Dutch Reformed Church of Matara is nestled within the walls of the historic Matara Fort, initially built by the Dutch. The fortification of Matara took place around five years The building was erected in 1706, according to an inscription over the doorway. During subsequent repairs and improvements this date has been obliterated and another date, that of 1767 is now to be seen. […]
Holy Emmanuel’s Church of Hanguranketha (හඟුරන්කෙත ශුද්ධවූ එම්මානුවෙල් පල්ලිය)
Built in 1886 by the philanthropist Charles Henry de Soysa, Holy Emmanuel's Church of Hanguranketha is one of the oldest Churches in the district of Nuwara Eliya. A special feature found in this church is a stone moonstone near its main entrance. Such moonstones are generally found in Buddhist shrines and buildings near its main entrance. This a plain moonstone and lacks any elaborate carvings. […]