Heritage

Thadanai Archaeological Ruins in Kiran (කිරාන් තඩානෛ පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)

Located near paddy fields in Thadanai village, these scattered 75×75-meter ruins feature rough stone pillars and building remains. Rows of oval wedge holes on an elevated rock plateau identify the site as an Anuradhapura-period ancient stone quarry.

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The Thadanai Archaeological Ruins are located in Thadanai village, within the Grāma Niladhāri Division of Perellaveli (209), in the Divisional Secretariat Division of Kōralai Pattu South (Kiran).

Access Route

From Kiran Junction, travel via Pulipanchakal and turn left at Kulaveli Asankatte Junction. Continue to Kakkalacholai Junction and proceed along the same road to Thadanai village. From there, follow Elimichchi Forest Road towards the border of Thadanai village. The archaeological remains are scattered on both sides of the road.

Historical Background

Although the precise period of the site cannot be definitively established solely from the layout and structural characteristics of the archaeological remains, the oval wedge holes found on the rock surface provide evidence of stone-quarrying techniques characteristic of the Anuradhapura period.

Location and Nature of Archaeological Evidence

The ruins are located near the paddy fields of Thadanai village and are spread across an area of approximately 75 × 75 meters on both sides of the road. The site contains the remains of structures featuring stone pillars.

On the right side of the road are the remains of a building with three short stone pillars, each measuring approximately 35 × 35 centimeters. The pillars are positioned at about 150-centimeter intervals. Their surfaces have a rough and unfinished appearance. Broken fragments of pillars, approximately 70 centimeters long, are also scattered across the surrounding ground.

On a slightly elevated rock plateau to the right of the road, rows of oval wedge holes can be clearly identified. These features indicate that the location was an ancient quarry where stone blocks were split and extracted for use in constructing pillars and other structures.

Geographical Coordinates

The exact location of the site is as follows:

North Latitude: 7° 51′ 16.1″ N
East Longitude: 81° 26′ 45.5″ E

References

Exploration and Documentation Division (Ed.). (2017). පුරාවිද්යා ස්ථාන හඳුනා ගැනීමේ ගවේෂණ වාර්තාව, මඩකලපුව දිස්ත්රික්කය. Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka, p. 327

Also See

Map of the Thadanai Archaeological Ruins in Kiran

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Traveling to the Thadanai Archaeological Ruins in Kiran

Route from Batticaloa to Thadanai Archaeological Ruins in Kiran

Through: Chenkaladi – Kiran
Distance: 42 km
Travel time: 1.15 hours
Driving directions: see on Google Maps

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Thadanai Archaeological Ruins in Kiran (කිරාන් තඩානෛ පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
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