Sunken Town of Maskeliya | AmazingLanka.com

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Every few years, when droughts strike the central highlands of Sri Lanka with unusual severity, an eerie yet extraordinary phenomenon unfolds in the town of Maskeliya. From beneath the still waters of the Moussekelle Reservoir, a forgotten town resurfaces—its temples, churches, kovils, bridges, and roads rising once more like ghosts of a submerged past.

A Lost Town Beneath Moussekelle Reservoir

In 1968, the original Maskeliya town was inundated with the creation of the Moussekelle Reservoir, part of the massive hydroelectric scheme powering Sri Lanka’s central highlands. Located 2,200 feet above sea level, the reservoir submerged the town, including 155 ancestral homes, businesses, religious sites, and infrastructure. A new town was constructed uphill, but the spiritual and cultural memory of the old settlement endures—visible only when the waters recede.

A Journey Through History and Landscape

Traveling along the Avissawella–Hatton A-7 Road, the road winds past mist-veiled mountains and dwindling waterfalls. From Ginigathena, we turned off at Norton Bridge to reach Maskeliya, where signs of drought were stark—Kelani Ganga a mere trickle, and once-powerful waterfalls reduced to dribbles.

On the approach to the reservoir, the Seven Virgins Mountain Range (Sapthakanya) looms in the distance. These forested hills are steeped in mystery and tragedy, most notably the 1974 Martinair Flight 138 crash, Sri Lanka’s deadliest aviation disaster.

Beyond the scenic reservoir lies the sacred Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada). Maskeliya serves as a pilgrim gateway during the climbing season, yet for the rest of the year, it remains a quiet highland town. However, in drought years, the town’s submerged past captures the attention of visitors once again.

When the Waters Recede: The Reawakening of a Sacred Landscape

As the drought deepens, water levels in the Moussekelle reservoir drop dramatically. The reservoir’s dry bed begins to reveal what had been hidden for over half a century: ruins of temples, kovils, a mosque, bridges, and old roads once bustling with life.

Among the visible structures:

Sri Kadireshan Hindu Kovil, with its stone sanctum, floral carvings, and Skandalie statue, still remarkably intact
A decaying Buddhist temple, with a seated Buddha and the withered stump of a Bodhi tree
A mosque, where only two concrete pillars remain
A Ganesh Kovil, partially submerged, with sculpted floral motifs scattered across the reservoir floor
The old arched stone bridge, likely built by British planters, still standing with minor damage

According to Kengan, a local Hindu priest who now tends to the reemerged shrine, the Sri Kadireshan Kovil was built in 1917 by Indian artisans. Its resemblance to the Gadaladeniya Temple near Kandy is striking, especially in the sculptural details.

The Sacrifice and Transformation of a Town

The construction of the Moussekelle Reservoir displaced families, businesses, and sacred spaces. Though key buildings like schools, tea factories, and police stations were dismantled, religious monuments were left behind—now reappearing as silent witnesses to the town’s submerged legacy.

The old road to Sri Pada, once bustling with pilgrims and traders in Gagewatta, lies beneath the waters. The town’s once-thriving local economy—fueled by pilgrim traffic—was irrevocably altered. Traders and residents were relocated to the new Maskeliya town and nearby Nallathanniya, reshaping the region’s social and cultural landscape.

A Moment in Time

Today, when the reservoir dries up, the exposed ruins become a temporary pilgrimage site. Devotees wrap the Buddha statue in saffron robes. Children play cricket in the dry reservoir bed. Young villagers take selfies among the scattered remnants of a lost town.

These ruins, dormant beneath water for over five decades, are a haunting reminder of the sacrifices made for national development. They reflect not just physical displacement, but also the deep emotional and cultural imprint of a community lost to time.

As the weather shifts, the waters inevitably rise again, reclaiming the town. Until the next drought, the sunken town of Maskeliya sleeps once more beneath the placid surface of Moussekelle.

Also See

Map of Sunken Town of Maskeliya

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Travel Directions to the Sunken Town of Maskeliya

Route from Colombo to the Sunken Town of Maskeliya

Through : Kaduwela – Awissawella – Ginigathena – Norton Bridge
Time to spend : 1 – 2 hours
Distance : 135 km
Travel time : 4 hours
Driving directions : see on google map