The name of Kandarodai derives from its original name Kadurugoda, according to historians. Kandarodai can be reached after traveling about 10 km beyond Manippai from Jaffna town. One can see remnants of 61 small dagabas scattered in an area of about ½ acre land of palmyrah trees. Only the foundations of some dagabas are left today. Keen observations convince visitors that those small structures are constructed with ash-coloured stone.

The constructions of theses dagabas bear different features from other Buddhist dagabas elsewhere since they do not distinctively have a square shape part named Hathares Kotuwa but ring-shaped structures known as Pesa Walalu built one above the other are seen next to the global structures.
Dr. Paul E. Pieris who first discovered these dagabas says the constructions are more than 2000 years old.

A Buddha statue, Bodhisaththa statue, a stone scripture and some coins believed to have been used in the 1st and 2nd centuries were found during archeological excavations in this area. They are at present kept at the Jaffna museum.

It is legendary that the relics of 60 Arhats who passed-away due to a famine while preaching Dhamma and practicing meditation in Jaffna peninsula are about 2000 years before deposited in those small dagabas. There is a record that a special dagaba with Lord Buddha's relics were also in this premises.

Their bodies had been cremated and the ashes deposited in the small dagabas constructed later by a noble person lived in the area, but no name or any other information has been found in records.