Attractions

Submerged City of Teldeniya (වික්ටෝරියා ජලාශයෙන් යටවූ තෙල්දෙණිය නගරය)

56 years ago2 months ago02 mins

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Old Teldeniya, a vibrant town submerged during the 1980s Victoria Dam project, offers a hauntingly beautiful experience. During dry seasons, the reservoir’s receding waters reveal skeletal ruins, including the old bridge and temple foundations. This “ghost city” provides a poignant glimpse into the sacrifice made for Sri Lanka’s development.

With the construction of the Victoria Reservoir on 12 April 1985, nearly 7,000 acres (about 2,832 hectares) of land were gradually submerged. This area included towns, villages, and extensive agricultural lands, along with numerous buildings such as places of worship and bridges. Among the settlements lost beneath the waters, Teldeniya was one of the largest towns affected by the construction of Victoria Dam under the Mahaweli Development Project.

The Reappearance of the “Ghost Town”

During the more than three decades since the reservoir was filled, Teldeniya has re-emerged from beneath the waters on two occasions when prolonged dry seasons caused the water level of the Victoria Reservoir to fall to exceptionally low levels. The most recent of these events occurred in 2017.

On these rare occasions, the submerged settlement appeared almost like a ghost town, with the remains of partially ruined buildings and religious structures becoming visible again. Remarkably, much of the town’s original road network and several bridges remained largely intact despite having been underwater for decades.

Particularly striking is the old iron bridge that once spanned the Hulu Ganga as it flowed through Teldeniya. Even after nearly thirty years beneath the reservoir, the structure has remained surprisingly well preserved.

Buddhist shrine of the Teldeniya hospital

Also See

Map of Submerged City of Teldeniya

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The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

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Travel Directions to Submerged City of Teldeniya

Route from Kandy to submerged city of Teldeniya

Through : Kundasale
Distance: 27 km
Travel time: 45-60 minutes.
Driving directions : see on Google Maps.

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The Reappearance of the “Ghost Town”

Also See

Map of Submerged City of Teldeniya

Travel Directions to Submerged City of Teldeniya

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