A stone pillar is found to the south of the Iluppakadavai Muththumari Amman Kovil. The crest of it has been destroyed. There is a Siri Patul Gal (sacred footprint of Buddha carved on a square slab of rock) 6 meters back, westwards of the kovil building. These ruins can be placed to the Anuradhapura period and a possible ancient Buddhist temple complex at the site.
Currently, the Vidataltivu Tharama Madam (Ambalama) is completely dilapidated and the roof has collapsed. There is a wall outside of the building and part of it is also destroyed. The entrance to this building is to the east. The windows and door frames have been removed. The building is built on a platform of 60 cm in height. The outhouses of the Madam (Ambalama) have also been destroyed. According to folklore, the old Mannar-Jaffna road was passing this Ambalama.
In the 1-acre perch land that is situated at a distance of 100m on the left side of the Mantai-Adampan Road, are found a few spur stones, stone pillar parts, bricks, tiles, potsherds. The spur stones are made of limestone and both tiles and bricks are of Anuradhapura Period. There is a pedestal of a statue and a few fragments of some pillars are at 25m away from the locality of the spurstone.
Just before the Mannar causeway, lies the road to Jaffna through Poonaryn (A32 road). Travelling 5.2 km on this road brings one to Mantai Junction. Turning right to Adampan Road and travelling 375 meters will bring you to a small cultivated land on the right. An assortment of ruins such as bricks, tiles, and potsherds…
A damaged survey tower is found on the northern coast of Mannar Island unknown by many travellers. It lies off a bare strip of sand on a beach covered with thorny bushes. The tower stands on a square base. On top of it is two cylindrical segments, the top one smaller than the bottom. If it had a had a 3rd column at the top, it’s not visible now.
The architectural features of this building resemble those of a church. The dilapidated building belongs to the Portuguese Period. There is no roof in the building and the thickness of a wall is about 2m. Specially prepared bricks have been used and the length, width and height of a brick are 1 foot, 8 inches and 2 inches respectively.
On the road from Medawachchiya to Mannar, about a kilometer before Madu Church Road, there is the road to a British Hanging Bridge over the Malwathu Oya. After traveling about a kilometer on this road, you will see an Amuna (anicut) across the Yodha Ela (Giant Canal) in a beautiful surrounding.
Mannar is one of the most barren and driest islands of Sri Lanka connected through a 3 km causeway to mainland. But this was one of the busiest towns in the ancient past when this area (Gulf Of Mannar) was one of the biggest pearl banks in the world, supplying massive amounts of pearls to the kings and queens throughout the world for over 2000 years.
This ancient survey tower of Kalaru lies on small rocky hillock inside the Kalaru forest reserve. This area which once was a deep jungle was part of the Wilpattu Habitat has been gradually converted to a colony during the last 10-12 years despite objections from many citizen organisations.
Adam’s Bridge, also called Rama’s Bridge, or Rama Sethu is a sting of shoals between Mannar Island, off the northwest coast of Sri Lanka, and Rameswaram Island, off the southeast coast of India. The so called bridge is 30 miles (48 km) long and separates the Gulf of Mannar (southwest) from the Palk Strait (northeast).
This square survey tower on the Thiruketheeswaram Kovil Road belonging to British era has four floors. The side length of the original part is 2.4 meters and the height is 2.3 meters. The remaining two storeys are built progressively shorter. The fourth floor is taller than the second and third floors.
This old survey tower is located in Ilukpakadai 04th Gramasewaka division of Manthai West Divisional Secretariat. To reach the temple travel 30 km from Mannar on Poonareen road, turn left at Ilukpakadawai junction and travel 200 meters on Padauthura road, this tower can be seen near a Hindu Kovil.
From the Mannar fort, travel 12 km on the Thalaimannar road, turn right at the Narapadu junction and go 1.4 km along the sandy road, where you can see this monolithic tower pointing towards the sky on the plain.
The new Talaimannar lighthouse in was built in 1915 and was 19m high. The tower has not been maintained for during the recent past due to the war situation which existed for the last 30 years.
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.
The Old Talaimannar Lighthouse (Urumalai Lighthouse) is located at that south of the island at the start of the Adams Bridge, the natural sand bank which stretch all the way to India. This area is called Urumalai, thus this is also known as Urumalai Lighthouse.
Madhu is a mystic jungle shrine dedicated to Mother Mary lying on a remote area in Mannar. The church is one of the few churches which is visited by Buddhists as well as Hindus from all over the country.
Thekkama Anicut was built by king Dhatusena (459-477 AD) to diverted water from Malwathu Oya and a built a 25km long canal along the flat land to built Yodha Wewa.
Vankalai, in the Mannar district, with its numerous bird species was declared as Vankalai Sanctuary in 2008, due the large number of birds residing in this area
The tombs of Adam and Eve in Mannar are legendary burial sites shrouded in local folklore. Featuring two elongated mounds measuring nearly 40 feet, these “giant” graves reflect early Muslim traditions linking the first humans to Sri Lanka’s Adam’s Bridge. It is a unique, cross-cultural landmark steeped in ancient mystery.
