Heritage

Palchenai Archological Site (පාල්චෙනයි පුරාවිද්‍යා ස්ථානය)

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Located in Palchenai, this Anuradhapura-era site features a rectangular building once supported by twenty stone pillars. Today, sixteen short pillars remain in situ within a private chenna cultivation, surrounded by ancient brick fragments that confirm its status as a permanent historical structure.

The Palchenai Archaeological Site is located in the village of Palchenai, within the Palchenai 213 A Grama Niladhari Division, under the Korala Pattu North (Vakarai) Divisional Secretariat of the Batticaloa district

Location and Access

When travelling along the Batticaloa–Trincomalee Road towards Verugal, after passing Vakarai, the Palchenai area is reached. From the Ramachandra Junction, take the road to the left and proceed for approximately 2 km (1.2 miles) to arrive at the site.

Historical Background

Architectural elements observed at the site correspond to construction traditions of the Anuradhapura Period.

Site Layout and Archaeological Features

The site is situated on privately owned land currently used as a Chena plantation. Despite this, the remains clearly indicate the presence of an ancient building constructed using stone pillars.

The structure follows a rectangular plan, formed by four rows of pillars, with each row originally consisting of five pillars. At present, sixteen short stone pillar stumps remain in their original positions. These pillars display features associated with early construction techniques, including surface characteristics resembling rough finishing.

The building measures approximately 5 m (16.4 ft) in length and 4 m (13.1 ft) in width, suggesting a compact, square-like layout.

Fragments of bricks used in the construction are scattered across the site, supporting the assumption that this was a permanent structure dating to the Anuradhapura Period.

Geographical Coordinates

The exact location of the site is as follows:

Latitude: 8° 12′ 07.9″ N
Longitude: 81° 23′ 58.6″ 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 Palchenai Archological Site

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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

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Travelling Directions to Palchenai Archaeological Site

Route from Trincomalee to Palchenai Archological Site

Through : Kinniya – Mutur – Serunuwara – Verugal
Distance : 67 km
Travel time : 1.30 hours
Driving directions : see on Google Maps

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