Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe, Commander of SFHQ-KLN had requested a team of archaeologists to visit the site after an army troop came across the site a few days ago.

“Archaeologists have recovered stacks of ancient layers of bricks believed to be from a pagoda, slates with the Sri Pada symbol and stone posts with prints of the Sri Pada, confirming the existence of a Buddhist temple from the Polonnaruwa period in Kilinochchi,” the army said.

The archaeologists have declared the site a sacred site, pending further excavations, extensive research and comprehensive evaluation, alerting the security forces as well as government authorities of the new discovery.

Some alleged that the LTTE had destroyed a large Buddha statue which a Kurukkal (chief priest) had found in 1965 while clearing the jungles around a Kovil at the site.

The priest had come across the ruins of a pagoda, some Buddha statues, stone carvings and a Bo tree in the area.

It was said that a 4 to 6 foot tall Samadhi Buddha statue and a statue of a lion plus a moonstone had existed at the site. The LTTE had however felled the Bo tree and later replaced it with a Palmyrah tree.

Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe, Commander, SFHQ-KLN, Colonel N.P Akuranthilake, 662 Brigade Commander and several senior officers visited the location soon after its discovery by troops serving there.