Kotmale Reservoir | AmazingLanka.com

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Nestled in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, between the Tispane and Kadadora hills, the Kotmale Reservoir is a striking sight. Its cool, clear waters ripple gently in the breeze, creating an atmosphere of serenity. Yet, beneath these calm waters lies a hidden world of history.

When the reservoir was constructed, more than 14 tea estates, 57 villages, and around 54 ancient temples were submerged. While many of these no longer remain even underwater, some ruins still exist. Among the most remarkable are the remains of the Kadadora Vihara, with sculptured statues of the Buddha and other deities. These ruins, however, are rarely visible and can only be seen during periods of drought.

Submerged History

During severe droughts, when the waters recede, remnants of human settlements and temples resurface. The cracked, bone-dry earth of the exposed reservoir bed creates striking patterns, adding to the eerie beauty of the scene. Families who once lived in these villages—displaced to make way for the Kotmale Dam, reservoir, tunnel, and underground hydroelectric power station—sometimes return to walk on the dried bed, recalling memories of the past.

The Kotmale Project

Covering an area of 2,270 hectares, the reservoir extends across both the Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts. It was one of five key undertakings of the Accelerated Mahaweli Development Programme (AMDP)—the largest hydropower initiative in the country’s history.

Studies for the project first began in 1961, with further investigations carried out between 1964–1968 with foreign support. A later feasibility study was conducted with Indian assistance between 1973–1976. Eventually, construction began in February 1979 under the AMDP, with the reservoir created by damming the Kotmale Oya, a main tributary of the Mahaweli River.

The primary objective was to generate hydroelectric power. At an elevation of 2,100 feet above sea level, the dam formed a reservoir with a capacity of 174 million cubic metres. Three sluice gates were built to release excess water at spill level. The dam measures 520 metres in crest length and 87 metres in height.

The reservoir was completed in November 1984, and hydroelectric power generation began in June 1985. Today, the Kotmale power station produces 206 megawatts for the national grid.

The Mahaweli Maha Seya

To compensate for the loss of numerous temples submerged by the reservoir, construction began on the Mahaweli Maha Seya—a magnificent bubble-shaped stupa second only in size to the Ruwanveli Maha Seya of Anuradhapura.

This stupa, standing 88 meters (289 feet) tall at an elevation of 950 metres (3,117 feet) above sea level, overlooks the reservoir from the right bank of the dam. Its base measures 600 meters (1,969 feet), and it features a reinforced concrete shell supporting a chamber, Dewatha Kotuwa, pinnacle, and Kothkerella. The overall height of the structure is 83 meters (274 feet).

Fact File

One of five major headworks under the Accelerated Mahaweli Ganga Scheme.
Kotmale Oya runs through up-country villages and tea plantations before joining the Mahaweli.
Reservoir capacity: 174 million cubic metres (141,000 acre feet), regulating a large share of the river’s annual flow.
Water is diverted through an underground system to a power station 7.2 km away, before rejoining the Mahaweli at the Atabage Oya.
Around 3,000 families were displaced due to construction.
Catchment area at the dam site: 730 sq. miles.
Drainage area: central hills rising up to 8,000 feet.
Dam crest length: 520 metres; height: 87 metres.
Mahaweli Maha Seya: built 257 metres (845 feet) above the dam site. It consists of a 200-foot (61 m) diameter reinforced concrete shell with a chamber (31 ft), Dewatha Kotuwa (12 ft), pinnacle (44 ft), and Kothkerella (52 ft).

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