The Vannāthimadu Ancient Pond (Vannathimadu Kulam) in Vakarai is a 2.42-hectare, oval-shaped reservoir dating to the Early Anurādhapura period. Enclosed by an earthen embankment, it still holds water and served as the primary water source for three nearby forest monasteries.
The Pullavi Jungle Ruins (3) in Kayankerni are an early Anuradhapura-period Buddhist monastery complex. Despite treasure-hunting damage, the forested site preserves carved foundation stones, stone pillars, a mortised doorway slab, and balustrade fragments. It represents one of three interconnected yet distinct monastic centers in the area.
The Pullavi Jungle Monastic Ruins (Site 2) in Kayankerni spans 25 acres and dates to the Anurādhapura period. It features five building sites surrounded by a stone wall, including a well-preserved northern structure with ten pillars arranged in three rows.
The Pullavi Monastic Ruins (Site 1) in Kayaṅkerni, Vakare, is an Anuradhapura-period complex lying in the dry zone forest bounded by wetlands and the sea. It features a 75-meter-long stone enclosure wall containing building foundations, broken in-situ pillars, and scattered moonstones.
The Palayadiodei-2 ruins in Vakarai are an Anuradhapura-era monastery featuring a looted hilltop stupa, a stone-floored building linked by an ancient path, stone pillars, and a rock pool. Quartz flakes also indicate prehistoric tool-making at the site.
Located in Vakarai, the Palayadiodei site is an Anuradhapura-era monastery set on a high rocky hill. Overlooking two reservoirs, it contains a cave with a 10-meter-high drip ledge hidden by dense jungle, alongside circular brick layers on the summit that form the foundation of an ancient stupa.
The site near Kokuvil Tamil School in Mankerni indicates an Anuradhapura-era complex of significant size now disappeared forever. With new residential developments, the site has been completely bulldozed and destroyed, leaving only stone pillar bases scattered around various gardens.
The Madurankeni paddy field ruins near Kunjankulam are an Anuradhapura-era site featuring an intact foundation of a small ancient structure. Located within a highly developed agricultural landscape, the survival of these foundation pillars offers clear evidence of early historical settlements tied to local water and farming systems.
The Watagala Monastery Ruins are an extensive early Anuradhapura-period complex in Vakare. It features a large hilltop stupa, 13 ruined structures—including a unique circular or octagonal building—and three natural rock pools. The site has faced treasure-hunting damage at all structures.
The Aththiyawadical Rock Monastery is an Anuradhapura-era complex featuring a hilltop stupa, stone staircase, and residential building foundations. Key artifacts include a damaged Buddha statue fragment, grinding cavities, and a secluded rock pool. A sacred footprint stone and moonstone from the site were later relocated nearby.
Located near the Kunjankalkulama Reservoir, this Anuradhapura-era complex features a 10×10 m rectangular structure with sixteen short stone pillars. Despite paddy cultivation encroachment and unauthorized digging, ancient grinding stones and conical-shaped cavities on the rocks suggest a settlement related to early hydraulic civilization.
The Kunjankalkulama Wewa is a 125-hectare ancient reservoir in Vakarai dating to the Early Anuradhapura Period. It served as the hydraulic heart of a vast religious and residential landscape, supplying water to nearby monastic complexes and early agrarian settlements.
The Bimpokuna site in Vakare is an early Anuradhapura-era forest monastery centered on a rocky outcrop. Despite treasure-hunting damage, it preserves a stone-slab stupa, a ruined image house with pillar bases, a circular pedestal, and a stone-walled building complex.
The Kunjankalkulama Archaeological Site, located in Madurankulama, preserves the remains of an ancient Buddhist monastic complex dating to the Early Anuradhapura Period. The site and its built environment have suffered extensive destruction and disturbance over time due to its remoteness.
Located in Vakarai, this Anuradhapura-era Buddhist complex features a large stupa and numerous stone pillars. Despite severe treasure-hunting damage, the site preserves 30 brick layers and fragments of a potential Stupaghara. Nearby rock quarries show original ancient stone-cutting marks.
Located in the Ominiyamadu Forest, this Anuradhapura-era site features a small rectangular building marked by four surviving stone pillars. Despite significant central disturbance from treasure hunters, the intact pillar bases provide evidence of an early monastery deep within the Madurankulama forest.
The Ruins of a dilapidated stupa, a muti storied building and ancient ponds located within the Ammaltherodinawatta Forest in Madurankeni, represent the remains of an early Buddhist religious complex dating to the early Anuradhapura period.
The Panichchankerni ruins in Kovilkudiuruppu are an Anuradhapura-era settlement site featuring two standing stone pillars with square socket holes. Notably, a large circular stone fragment—resembling a Chatra (stupa umbrella)—and ancient roof tiles suggest the presence of formal religious architecture.
The Sallithivu ruins in Vakarai feature ancient stone pillars from the Anuradhapura Era. These surviving structural elements provide evidence of a former building complex, marking a significant historical site within the Panichchankerni division near the coast.
Located within St. Peter’s Church ground in Manikkapuram, this Anuradhapura-era site contains ancient pottery and pillar fragments. Notable artifacts include a repurposed stone seat (Gal Asana). Much of the original structure was lost during church construction along the lagoon.
