Great Lakes

Parakrama Tank 

One of the most striking features in Polonnaruwa is the vast Parakrama Samudra (Sea of Parakramabahu), an irrigation tank built, as the name indicates by King Parakramabahu the Great. This was his largest irrigation project and covers an area of more than 15 Km2.The dam (or bund, as it is known in Sri Lanka, is almost 14 Km long and 12 metres high.

The Dipuyyana (Island Garden) is on the promontory by the rest house. When King Parakramabahu had built his vast lake, he selected this lovely spot for a royal garden. Later King Nissankamalla liked it so much that he built his palace and council chambers there

 

Tissamaharama

Tissamaharama is one of the most pleasant towns in the southern coast. The beautiful man-made tank (reservoir) in Tissa, Tissa Wewa with its remarkable bird life provides the scenic backdrop to the town. Tissa was the sanctuary in the deep south, where Sinhalese patriots fled to rally support against marauding Dravidian invaders from Southern India. Known by the name of Mahagama (great town), it was one of the principal settlements of the southern province of Ruhuna. Mahagama was founded in the third century BC by a brother of the King Devanam Piya Tissa of Anuradhapura, & later rose to prominence under King Kavantissa, father of the hero of the nation, King Dutugamunu of Ruhuna.

Modern Tissa is a bustling city with the main street lined with banks, shops & little cafes and kiosks. Refreshing breeze from the large reservoir sweeps the town. The town in turn is bounded by a beautiful expanse of paddy fields. In the midst of paddy fields stands most impressive of Tissa's dagobas (stupas). The combination of cluster of dagobas & two beautiful tanks lend Tissa a certain distinction & a sense of history making it in sharp contrast with the other towns of southern coast.

Tissa Wewa Rainwater reservior

North of the modern town lies the beautiful Tissa Wewa, an expansive artificial lake built by King Kavantissa in the 2nd century BC of the ancient southern kingdom of Ruhuna. The shore nearest the town is often busy with crowds of people bathing & flock of aquatic birds including bitterns, herons & egrets skimming across the waters. A beautiful walk leads along the massive bund (embankment) which encloses the lake's southern shore, shaded by a procession of majestic old trees.

Deberawewa Rainwater reservior
At the far end, a track leads to the smaller adjacent man-made lake of Deberawewa, another haven for birdlife, its surface prettily covered in water lilies.



Wirawila Wewa (Wirawila rain water reservoir) Bird Sanctuary

Between the northern & southern turn-offs to Tissa, the Hambantota Wellawaya road runs on a causeway across the large Wirawila Wewa (Reservoir). The best time for bird watching is early morning.