Dewahuwa Wewa

Dewahuwa Wewa in Matale District is an ancient reservoir linked to King Dutugemunu. Destroyed by a 10th-century flood, it remained jungle for nine centuries. Restored in 1950 by merging the ancient Dewahuwa and Palu Rota reservoirs, it now supports 2,336 acres of paddy fields.

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Dewahuwa Wewa, also known as Devahuwa Wewa, is a historic medium-sized reservoir situated in the Galewela Divisional Secretariat Division of the Matale District in the Central Province. It lies within the transitional zone between Sri Lanka’s Dry Zone and Intermediate Zone.

The reservoir was formed by damming the Hawanella Oya, a major tributary of the Kala Oya. The Hawanella Oya is formed by the confluence of the Kuda Oya and Kalugal Oya.

According to local folklore, the original reservoir was constructed by King Dutugemunu (161–137 BCE) while he was leading his army northwards towards Anuradhapura to conquer the Rajarata Kingdom from the invading forces of King Elara. Legend has it that King Dutugemunu personally carried stones for the construction of the embankment alongside his soldiers. In recognition of his humble contribution, a deity (deva) is said to have placed a sacred thread or string (huwa in Pali) around the king’s neck. This event is believed to have given the reservoir its name, Devahuwa.

Archaeological assessments of the reservoir’s ancient intake arrangements, spillway masonry and structural layout indicate that its original construction dates to the Early Anuradhapura period, making it contemporary with the early irrigation works in the upper Kala Oya basin.

Around the 10th century CE, exceptionally heavy monsoon rains are believed to have caused a catastrophic flood that destroyed the main earthen embankment and the extensive irrigation network below it. Following the breach, the settlements in the area disappeared, while the reservoir bed and its command area gradually reverted to dense jungle. For nearly nine centuries, the abandoned landscape remained largely uninhabited and became a habitat for wild animals.

In 1883, colonial surveyors rediscovered the ruined embankment and its breached section. Their records also documented remnants of an ancient Yoda Ela that originated near the location of the former sluice.

The present-day Devahuwa Wewa was established in 1950 by combining the ancient Devahuwa and Palu Rota reservoirs. The reconstructed reservoir has a storage capacity of 7,500 acre-feet and supports approximately 2,336 acres of paddy cultivation. The settlement of farming families under the irrigation scheme began in 1949.

References

Arumugam, S. (1969). Water resources of Ceylon: its utilisation and development. Water Resources Board (Sri Lanka).
Kamaladasa, B. (2026). Irrigation Heritage of Sri Lanka (1st ed.). The National Trust Sri Lanka.
Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka. (2017). හෙළ වාරි පුරාවත : ආරම්භයේ සිට වර්තමානය දක්වා ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ වාරි සංස්කෘතිය පිලිබඳ විවරණයක්: Hela Wari Purawatha : Research Program on Sri Lanka’s History of Irregation from the Begining to Modern Times. Mahaweli Center, Sri Lanka.