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

Concise Mahavamsa Ruwan Rajapakse, P.E., Sinhalanet.com 69
Kalawewa/Jaya Ganga Scheme:
Kala Wewa: (Kala Wewa Reservoir):
Kala Wewa is one of the magnificent reservoirs of the ancient world. This reservoir has a
circumference of 40 miles and has a total area of seven square miles at full capacity. The ancient spill
(pitawana) is measured to be 216 feet in width and 170 ft in length. For comparison, the width of the
spill is more than three quarters length of a soccer field! The spill was built using hammered Granite, a
solid structure one could imagine. Each block of Granite is shaped precisely to fit its neighbor. The
whole structure eventually acts like one huge rock.
The embankment of Kalawewa is 60 to 80 feet high with a base of more than 200 ft and a length of 3
miles.
When George Turnour (First to translate Mahavamsa to English) visited the site, he was unable to
understand why such a huge spill was built.
Turnour wrote “One of the most stupendous monuments of misapplied labor in the island”. Same
sentiment was expressed by Emmerson Tennent. Later it was found out that such a large spill and an
embankment is necessary to withstand flood waters during the heavy monsoon season.
According to the tradition, a tunnel was built to carry water from Amban river to Mirisgoni river to
Kalawewa. So far this tunnel has not been found. (It is not clear whether anyone seriously looked for
it).
Where Does Kalawewa Get its Water: Immense dam was constructed across Dambulu
Oya and Mirisgoni Oyas. (Oya means river in Sinhalese). More water is obtained from Hawnell Oya
and drainage coming from the Matale hills also being captured. King Dhatusena did not stop from
building Kalawewa. He built a 54 mile long canal from Kalawewa to the city of Anuradhapura known
as Jayaganga. It is not an exaggeration to say that very existence of the city of Anuradhapura was
dependant on Kalawewa and Jayaganga. Another canal, not inferior to Jayaganga was built to connect
Kalawewa with the Siyambalagamuwa reservoir and thirty other small reservoirs.
Kadawara Deviyo: (God Kadawara): (Not in Mahavamsa)
According to the Sinhalese tradition, King Dhatusena appointed a man named Kadawara to maintain
the magnificent Kalawewa. One day there was a breach in the bund. In order to stop the breach,
Kadawara placed himself in the breach until workers repair it. During the event, Kadawara died and
became a god. Today Kadawara is considered to be guarding the reservoir as a god as he did while he
was alive.
Note by D.S Senanayake on Kalawewa (First Prime Minister of Lanka):
“When we have evidence before our eyes of a bund of over 17 million cubic yards which at
ordinary rates of labor in this country must have cost 1,300,000 British Pounds, a sum which
would be sufficient to form an English railway of 120 miles long, and we remember that bund
is one of a number of embankments that held together immense reservoirs in the country.