Elahera Gal Amuna and Parakrama Inscription

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Elahera Gal Amuna and Prakarama Inscription - ඇලහැර ගල් අමුන සහ පරාක්‍රම සෙල්ලිපිය

Elahara Gal Amuna is a magnificent 1st-century irrigation marvel built by King Vasabha and expanded by King Parakramabahu I. This ancient stone weir diverted the Amban Ganga into the Minneriya canal. Visitors can witness original stone masonry, reflecting the sophisticated hydraulic engineering that sustained Sri Lanka’s historic agricultural prosperity.

Skilled engineers developed sophisticated irrigation technology that founded the ancient civilization of Sri Lanka. In addition to constructing large reservoirs, ancient rulers also created extensive canal networks and innovative techniques to distribute water across vast agricultural regions.

Historical Records

Historical evidence indicates that the Elahera Amuna (Elahera Anicut), constructed across the Amban Ganga by King Vasabha (65–110 CE), formed part of one of the earliest large-scale irrigation projects in ancient Sri Lanka. Among the surviving ruins of ancient hydraulic structures, this is considered the largest amuna.

Mahavamsa

The Mahavamsa, the great chronicle of Sri Lanka, records that King Vasabha built Mucela Viharaya in Tissavaddhamanaka and granted to it a portion of the water from the canal known as Alisara (Mahavamsa 35:84–85). Scholars believe that Mucela Viharaya corresponds to the ruined temple located near Kaudulla Wewa in the Polonnaruwa region. The name “Alisara” is understood to be the ancient name for the present-day Elahera canal.

King Vasabha is also recognized as the first ruler to expand relatively small irrigation systems into large interconnected irrigation networks. Since the revenue generated from the Elahera Ela was donated to a temple situated approximately 50 kilometers away from the amuna, the canal system must have extended at least that far. This suggests that the canal likely reached the areas of Kaudulla Wewa and Minneriya, covering a distance of more than 50 kilometers even as early as the 1st century CE.

Pujavaliya

The Pujawaliya further records that King Mahasen (276–303 CE) later built a dam across the Karaganga (කරාගඟ) and constructed the canal known as Thalawathu Ela (තලවතු ඇළ) to divert water to the newly built Minihiri Wewa (මිනිහිරි වැව), Minneriya Wewa today.

ඔහු මල් මහසෙන් රජ රජ ව යකුන් අහිතින් ද මෙහෙ ගෙන මිනිහිරි වැව බඳවා, කරාගඟැ මිනිහිරි වැවට ෆිය යන ලෙස අමුණු බඳවා, දෙවියන් පෑ සලකුණෙන් තලවතු ඇළ බිඳුවා, දිය පාවා, විසි දහසක් කුඹුරු කරවා ……
පූජාවලිය

Culavamsa

The Culavamsa, the later continuation of the Mahavamsa, attributes the construction of several major reservoirs to King Aggabodhi II (608–618 CE), including Ganthala Wewa, Walas Wewa, and Girithalawa (Giritale) Wewa.

Giritale Wewa receives water through a separate canal originating near the beginning of Thalawathu Oya, which branches from the Elahera Canal. Meanwhile, Kanthale Wewa was supplied by a canal drawn from Minneriya Wewa. Based on these hydraulic connections, it is reasonable to assume that while constructing the new canal system from Elahera, King Aggabodhi II also repaired and reinforced the Elahera Amuna.

He also built the Gangatata, Valahassa and Giritata tanks. He enlarged the Mahapali Hall and set up a canoe for the gifts of rice …..
Culavamsa (42:67)

The Culavamsa further records that King Vijayabahu I (1070–1110 CE) repaired the damaged Thalawathu Oya (referred to as Tilavattuka Oya) and restored the Minneriya Wewa by filling the reservoir once again. During this restoration of the canal system, it is also likely that he repaired the Elahera Amuna, since the functioning of Thalawathu Oya depended on the stability and operation of this dam.

By building dams here and there on brooks, rivers and streams, the Sovereign made his kingdom fruitful. While damming (anew) the damaged Tilavatthuka canal he filled the Manihira tank with water.
Culavamsa (60:52)

Culavamsa also records the list of major irrigation schemes repaired by King Parakramabahu (1153-1186) which includes the Minneriya Wewa and the Giritale Wewa. Therefore, it’s possible that he too would have repaired this anicut while restoring the above two reservoirs.

At three hundred tanks the Monarch had as many stone sluices built. Ancient tanks which had burst, he again dammed up in great number: the great tank Manihira, the Mahadaragallaka, the tank called Suvannatissa and that called Duratissa, the Kalavapi tank and the one Brahmanaggama by name, the tanks called Nalikera-mahathamba, Rahera, Giritelaka and Kumbhilasobbha; the Kanavapi, Padivapi and the tank called Kati, the Pattapasanavapi and the tank called Mahauna; the tanks with the names Mahanamamatthaka, Vaddhana, Mahadatta and Kanagama; the tanks Vira, Valahassa and Suramana and the tanks called Pasapagama and Kalavalli; the tank by name Kahalli and that called Angagama, the Hillapattakakhanda and the Madagu.
Culavamsa (79:30-37)

Current Status

Today, the remains of this remarkable ancient structure lie at the same location where the modern dam has been constructed. The surviving section is found on the right bank of the Amban Ganga, within a forested area. It is believed that the original dam extended up to the position of the present structure, which measures about 122.5 meters in length. The surviving portion measures approximately 62 meters, representing roughly 45 percent of its original extent. Based on these measurements, the ancient dam may have originally stretched to about 185 meters. This structure is considered the only large-scale ancient stone dam in Sri Lanka that has survived in a relatively recognizable form.

Features of the Ancient Dam

The dam was constructed upon a natural rock foundation across the Amban Ganga. The rock bed was carefully cut to accommodate the first layer of large stone blocks forming the base of the structure. Large square holes visible in the stones suggest that vertical stone pillars were installed at regular intervals to strengthen the construction.

Interestingly, the Elahera Amuna was not built at a right angle across the river. From the right bank, the structure extends about 62 meters across the water before curving slightly upstream. This alignment may have been determined by the natural formation of the bedrock or designed deliberately to reduce the pressure exerted by the flowing river.

At its highest surviving point, the dam rises about 4.6 meters above the base. The height gradually increases toward the middle section of the river, where the tallest surviving portion is found. This makes it the tallest ancient stone dam discovered in Sri Lanka so far, and it is possible that the missing sections were even higher.

The inner face of the dam was constructed in stepped layers, a design intended to reduce the pressure exerted by the water. The base is the widest part of the structure, and the stepped stonework was further reinforced with a clay-brick wall about four to five bricks thick.

Both riverbanks connected to the dam were strengthened by a protective stone structure known as Sadapanawa, which performed a function similar to the Ralapanawa used in the embankments of ancient reservoirs. The Sadapanawa was built using stone blocks placed along the riverbank, gradually slanting inward toward the base. Its primary purpose was to protect the banks from erosion that could otherwise weaken the dam. This protective structure firmly integrated the corners of the dam.

The Sadapanawa on the right bank is still clearly visible today. It extends for about 200 meters upstream from the dam. Interestingly, this stone structure was built higher than the natural level of the riverbank. Archaeological observations suggest that additional earth was brought from elsewhere and used to raise the riverbanks up to the height of the Sadapanawa, thereby enabling the dam itself to be constructed at a greater elevation.

Approximately 2 kilometers upstream from this ancient amuna, a large modern gravity dam has been constructed, creating the Moragahakanda Reservoir. This major irrigation project was completed in 2018.

Tightly packed rocks of the Sadapanawa of the ancient Elahera Amuna on the right bank of Amban Ganga

Holes cut in to the rock bed for vertical stone pillars for the ancient Elahera Amuna on the right bank of Amban Ganga

References

Brohier, R., 1980. Ancient irrigation works in Ceylon. 1st ed. Colombo: Ministry of Mahaweli Development.
පණ්ඩිත කිරිඇල්ලේ ඤාණවිමල නාහිමි, 1951. මයුරපාද පරිවේණාධිපති බුද්ධ පුත්‍රයන් වහන්සේ විසින් රචිත පූජාවලිය.
Geiger, W., & Rickmers, C. M. (1929). Culavamsa: Being The More Recent Part Of The Mahavamsa: Vol. Part I–II. Pali Text Society. (Original work published 1815)
Geiger, W., & Rickmers, C. M. (1929). Culavamsa Being The More Recent Part Of The Mahavamsa: Vol. Part II–II. Pali Text Society. (Original work published 1815)
Mahanama, Geiger, W., & Bode, M. H. (1912). The Mahavamsa or the Great Chronicle of Ceylon. Translated into English by Wilhelm Geiger. For the Pali Text Society by Henry Frowde.
Withanachchi, C., 2009. පුරාණ ඇළහැර අමුණ. සමෝධන – සමාජීයවිද්‍යා මානවශාස්ත්‍ර පීඨ ශාස්ත්‍රීය සංග්‍රහය, pp.103-109.

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Map of Gal Amuna (Stone anicut) in Elahera

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Driving Directions to Elahera Gal Amuna and Parakrama Inscription

Route from Colombo to Elahera	Route from Habarana to Elahera
Via : Ambepussa – Kurunegala – Dambulla – Galewela – Meewalapatana – Panampitiya – Naula distance : 180 km Travel time : 4-4.5 hours Driving directions : see on google map	Via : Dambulla – Lendora – Naula distance : 62 km Travel time : 1 hour Driving directions : see on google map
Route from Polonnaruwa to Elahara	Route from Kandy to Elahara
Via : Girithale – Bakamuna distance : 60 km Travel time : 1 hour Driving directions : see on google map	Via : Matale – Naula distance : 76 km Travel time : 1.5 hour Driving directions : see on google map