Mahavilachchiya Wewa Reservoir of Anuradhapura Kingdom (මහවිලච්චිය වැව)

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

Mahavilachchiya Wewa, located on the northeastern border 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). This reservoir was formed by damming the Thalawa Oya, a tributary of the Modaragam Oya. Historical accounts mention that during the reign of King Dhatusena (459–477 CE), the Jayaganga Canal was extended to channel surplus water from Kala Wewa into Mahavilachchiya Wewa, supplementing the natural flow from Thalawa Oya. Ancient records refer to this reservoir as “Mayetti Wapi,” and further expansion work is credited to King Udaya (797–801 CE).

A commemorative plaque from a renovation carried out in 1955 states that the reservoir has a storage capacity of 32,500 acre-feet (approximately 40 million cubic meters) and spans an area of about 10.5 square kilometers when full. It supports irrigation for over 2,500 acres of paddy cultivation. Water is distributed via two main canals—one on each bank of the reservoir—with the left bank canal extending 5 kilometers and the right bank canal stretching 13.5 kilometers. The ancient embankment itself measures nearly 2.5 kilometers in length, and both sluice gates are approximately 3.5 feet wide.

The reservoir is situated around 1 kilometer from Vilachchiya Town, continuing to play a vital role in the region’s agriculture and 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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