One argument usually put in favor of her underworld associations is the epithet: "zana Liyan lahakra," which is so far only attested once, in an inscription by Silhak-Inshushinak.

[1] It has been proposed that certain religious structures, namely monumental gates and so-called siyan husame ("temple in a grove"[19]) were related to a deity's underworld-related character in Elam, but this theory is disputed.

[20] Excavations in the proximity of Bushehr in Iran, near the site of ancient Liyan, revealed the existence of a custom involving "burials" of palm trees, which has been tentatively linked to the cult of Kiririsha by researchers.

[2] Kiririsha and Napirisha were commonly grouped with Inshushinak in inscriptions, leading some researchers to propose that they were understood as a trinity in the Elamite pantheon.

[5] Milan Jahamgirfar notes that Elamite groupings of deities varied between specific areas, but nonetheless tentatively accepts the view that Inshushinak, Napirisha and Kirisha constituted a triad in the national pantheon.

[26] Numerous artifacts inscribed with the name of Untash-Napirisha have been recovered from it, including various weapons (ax and mace heads, swords and daggers), small animal figures and jewelry.

[7] Walther Hinz, an early researcher of Elam, believed that Kiririsha was not a distinct goddess, but merely a "taboo name" of Pinikir.

[6] Kiririsha and Pinikir have their origin in pantheons of different parts of Elam (Liyan and Awan, respectively),[1] were worshiped separately at Chogha Zanbil,[26] and both appear in an inscription accompanying a bronze relief from Susa.

[31] Additionally, while Pinikir is compared both in ancient texts and in modern scholarship to Ishtar and Ninsianna,[32] Kiririsha is instead regarded as similar to Ninhursag.