Mihintale Mahakanadarawa Wewa

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Sunset over Mahakandara Wewa
photo by Suranga’s Photo Collection – InstagramSriLanka licensed under CC BY 2.0

Discover Mahakanadarawa Wewa near Mihintale, a 2,000-year-old engineering marvel that still sustains thousands of farming families. Built by ancient kings and framed by sweeping mountain views, this vast reservoir reveals Sri Lanka’s mastery of water, landscape, and civilisation.

As you travel about 3 kilometers from Anuradhapura toward Mihintale, you will encounter the ancient Mahakanadarawa Wewa, one of the major reservoirs constructed nearly 2,000 years ago to support agriculture in the surrounding region. Unfortunately, during the British period, a gravel road was built directly across the reservoir, bisecting it in two to connect Anuradhapura with Trincomalee. Today, this route forms part of the A12 highway.

Mahakanadarawa Wewa was created by damming the Kanadara Oya, a principal tributary of the Malwathu Oya. In ancient records, the reservoir is referred to as Kana Wapi and Kanadiyadora, and its construction is attributed to King Mahasen (276–303 CE). Later, during the reign of King Sena II (853–887 CE), a weir was built at a location known as Kattaththa. From there, water was diverted through a 12-kilometer canal to the Kanadara Oya, greatly enhancing the reservoir’s water supply.

To reach the bund, one must turn off at the Kanadarawa junction and travel approximately 3 kilometers inland through a series of small villages and hamlets. The embankment stretches for 2.8 kilometers, and when full, the reservoir covers an area of 13.76 square kilometers (34,000 acres). It has a total storage capacity of 44,714,000 cubic meters (36,250 acre-feet). Even today, nearly 3,500 families depend on its waters to irrigate approximately 6,100 acres of paddy fields.

From the embankment, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the Mihintale mountain range. Continuing a further 2 kilometers beyond the dam leads to one of the longest ancient stone bridges in Sri Lanka, parts of which have been carefully restored.

References

Soysa. (2015). ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ඉපැරිණි වැව් සහ වාරි කර්මාන්ත (1st ed.) [Print].
Nicholas, C. W., & Paranavitana, S. (1961). A Concise History of Ceylon: From the Earliest Times to the Arrival of the Portuguese in 1505. University of Ceylon.

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Traveling to Mahakanadarawa Wewa

Colombo to Anuradhapura By Bus

Anuradhapura can be conveniently reached by bus, train, or private transport. Both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses operate from the Colombo Fort Main Bus Station. In addition, luxury buses departing from various locations in Colombo travel via Anuradhapura to Vavuniya and Jaffna; these require advance online booking and generally operate overnight, arriving at their final destinations early in the morning.

Colombo to Anuradhapura By Train

Five daily trains operate from Colombo Fort Railway Station to Anuradhapura. Typically, the first train departs at 9.40 a.m. and the last at 8.30 p.m. The journey takes approximately four to five hours, depending on the number of stops made by the particular service.

Colombo to Anuradhapura By Car or Van

Anuradhapura can be accessed from Colombo via several routes, with the two primary corridors running through Puttalam and Kurunegala. The Puttalam route passes the scenic Wilpattu area. From Kurunegala, there are two main approaches: the more commonly used route via Dambulla and an alternative route via Galgamuwa. Among all options, the Kurunegala–Dambulla route (Route 2) is the most frequently used.

Route 01 from Colombo to Anuradhapura	Route 02 from Colombo to Anuradhapura
Through: Negombo – Chilaw – Puttalam Distance from Colombo: 210 km Travel time: 4.30-5.00 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps	Through: Negombo – Chilaw – Puttalam Distance from Colombo: 210 km Travel time: 4.30-5.00 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.
Route 03 from Colombo to Anuradhapura	Route from Kandy to Anuradhapura
Through : Katunayake Expressway – Narammala – Wariyapola – Padeniya – Thambuthegama Distance from Colombo: 203 km Travel Time: 4.30-5.00 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps	Through: Katugastota – Matale – Dambulla Distance from Colombo: 136 km Travel Time: 3.5 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps