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In 1922, Rev. S. Gnana Prakasar, a missionary working in Jaffna had left a note a ruined site named Sankiliya-tidal (Sankiliyatital) about four and a half miles on the Kodikamam—Point Pedro road which had indications of an ancient building possibly linked to the regional king Sankili although not even a folklore remains of this connection other than the name. Later this site was documented by by P. Ragupathy for his master’s thesis. Fortunately, he had given the Latitude / Longitude of this location (9°44’00.0″N 80°14’10.0″E) to place this site fairly accurately.
In the article “Some Ruins in Jaffna” written by Rev. Gnana Prakasar in 1922, he describes the site ;
Sankiliya-tidal.—In Varany, about four and a half miles on the Kodikamam—Point Pedro road, within earshot distance to the West, is a low mound called Sankiliya-tidal or Sankily’s mound. Old tiles, about 7 inches by 3, are dug up in plenty on this spot, indicating some ancient building about which, curiously enough, the people of the place have no story to tell. Possibly this site had some connexion with Sankily or Sekarasa-sekaran, King of Jaffna. Was this the hiding place to which he repaired when dislodged by Constantino de Braganza from his stronghold of Kopay in 1560 ?
About half a mile from this spot, on the other side of the road, is another site of some ancient building which also abounds in old tiles of the same kind and other debris. If I remember right, the place is called Pankuni-piddy.
In 1980’s P. Ragupathy stated that the area of a mound of considerable height, the area is a mound of considerable height, one side facing the paddy fields and part of the Upparu lagoon, (Tampanai Katal), and the other side facing the Varani-Kotikämam road.
This report is now over 40 years old and during the Tamil Terrorist war which lasted for over 30 years, whether any remains can be found is doubtful. However, the respective authorities should research such places and preserve any ancient heritage for future generations.
References
- Prakasar, S. G. (1921). Some Ruins in Jaffna. The Ceylon Antiquary and Literary Register, VII (part II), 118–120.
- Ragupathy, P. (1987). Early settlements in Jaffna : An Archaeological Survey (1st ed.). Sudarsan Graphics.
Also See
Map of Sankiliyatital Archaeological site
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Driving Directions to Sankiliyatital Archaeological Site
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. |
| Jaffna town to Sankiliyatital Archaeological site |
| Through : Chavakachcheri Distance : 25 km Time to travel : 30 mins Driving Directions : click here for Google Map |
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