Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse, P.E., Sinhalanet.com 1

Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse, P.E., Sinhalanet.com 103
Yodha Wewa: (Giant Reservoir):
Giant reservoir located in Mannar (Manthota) is another huge project of King Parakramabahu. Huge
dam was built across the river today known as Aruvi Aru to bring water to Giant reservoir.
The dam at Giant reservoir is a majestic structure with a length of 600 feet and a width of 75 feet!.
British Governer Henry Ward made the following comment on this dam.
“It is difficult to imagine anything more imposing than this dam, with all its strange
associations of empires, civilizations and science and commerce long extinct- a
population equal to that of London or Paris, once swarming about this desolate spot
without tradition or a monument to mark its existence or to record its decay”
(Ref: Ancient Irrigation Works of Ceylon, R. L. Brohier)
Note on Parakramabahu:
“As a ruler of a kingdom, he could be placed besides monarchs like Peter the Great of Russia,
and Fredrick the Great of Prussia for beside being a warrior and statesman, like them he
perceived the sources of power. Like them too he must have had a somewhat calculating and
sinister side to his character. Reputation of this 12 th century ruler of Ceylon has been so
impressive that a statue was built on a little knoll not far from one of his gigantic irrigation
projects called sea of Parakrama”.
Ref: E.F.C Ludowyk, “The Story of Ceylon”
Sea of Parakrama – (Parakrama Samudra Details):
Parakrama Samudra was constructed using three reservoirs. Thopavava of north and Dhumbutulu
Weva of south were connected through Eramadu Weva. Parakramabahu’s master builders dammed
up Kara Ganga (today Amban Ganga) and constructed nearly nine miles of embankments across
valleys and existing reservoirs. The embankment was anchored to a four miles of rock for stability.
Parakrama’s sea is a gigantic, yet intricate and sophisticated water storage system and considered to be
an Engineering marvel. Sea of Parakrama has a catchment basin of approximately 75 sq. km. The
reservoir was designed to be fed by small streams coming from the catchment basin and a long channel
that’s been connected to the southern river system. Kara Ganga (Amban Ganga) was dammed and
water was diverted to the Sea of Parakrama and to the city of Polonnaruwa. Sea of Parakrama
obtained water from Minipe ela which was built across Mahaweli river as well. The channel carrying
mighty water from Amban Ganga and Mahaweli river were used to fill the reservoir.
Silt collected in the reservoir is minimal due to long distance of travel by river water in the channel
known as Akasa Ganga.
Sea of Parakrama is approximately 23 sq. km in surface area and has a volume of 0.13 cu. km.
(130,000 cu. m). When completely filled the depth of the reservoir at the center would be 52 feet and
3 ½ mile line could be drawn from one corner to the other.
Exact location of the Sea of Parakrama was identified by Hugh Neville and the reservoir was restored
by the program started by British Governor Sir Henry Ward.