Mahavilachchiya Wewa Reservoir of Anuradhapura Kingdom (මහවිලච්චිය වැව)

Mahavilachchiya Tank — Mahavilachchiya Wewa
photo courtesy of Dr. Ashan Geeganage

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Mahavilachchiya Wewa, situated along the northeastern boundary of Wilpattu National Park, is an ancient irrigation reservoir believed to have been constructed in 140 BCE by Prince Saliya, the son of King Dutugemunu (161–131 BCE). The reservoir was created by damming the Thalawa Oya, a tributary of the Modaragam Oya. Historical accounts indicate that during the reign of King Dhatusena (459–477 CE), the Jayaganga Canal was extended to divert surplus water from Kala Wewa into Mahavilachchiya Wewa, supplementing the water supplied naturally by the Thalawa Oya. Ancient records refer to the reservoir as Mayetti Wapi, while further expansion work is attributed to King Udaya (797–801 CE).

A commemorative plaque installed following a renovation in 1955 records that the reservoir has a storage capacity of 32,500 acre-feet (approximately 40 million cubic metres) and covers an area of about 10.5 square kilometres when full. The reservoir provides irrigation for more than 2,500 acres (approximately 1,012 hectares) of paddy cultivation. Water is distributed through two principal canals, one along each bank of the reservoir. The left-bank canal extends for 5 kilometres, while the right-bank canal runs for 13.5 kilometres. The ancient embankment is approximately 2.5 kilometres long, and both sluice gates measure about 3.5 feet (1.07 metres) in width.

Located approximately 1 kilometre from Vilachchiya town, Mahavilachchiya Wewa continues to play an important role in supporting local agriculture while preserving the legacy of Sri Lanka’s ancient irrigation heritage.

References

Soysa. (2015). ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ඉපැරිණි වැව් සහ වාරි කර්මාන්ත (1st ed.) [Print].

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Map of the Mahavilachchiya Wewa

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Travelling to Mahavilachchiya Wewa

Route from Colombo to Mahavilachchiya Wewa

Through : Puttlam
Distance : 222 km
Travel time : 5-6 hours
Driving directions: see on Google Maps

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References

Also See

Map of the Mahavilachchiya Wewa

Travelling to Mahavilachchiya Wewa

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