Abhaya Wewa

Abhaya Wewa අභය වැව
Abhaya Wewa අභය වැව
Location	Anuradhapura
Coordinates	08°21′07.9″N 080°23′17.4″E
Type	Reservoir
Built	400 BC[1][2]
Surface area	1,235 acres (500 ha; 1.930 sq mi)
Water volume	133×10^^6 cu ft (3.8×10^^6 m^3)[2]

From the Basawakkulama dam

Abhaya Wewa (Sinhalese: අභය වැව), historically Abhayavapi (Sinhalese: අභයවාපි) or Bassawakkulama reservoir, is a reservoir in Sri Lanka, built by King Pandukabhaya who ruled in Anuradhapura from 437 BC to 367 BC, after constructing the city.[3]

It was constructed in 380 BC. The dam of the reservoir is 10 m high. The water of the reservoir is also accumulated in the Giritale and Kantalai.[4] Currently, the reservoir is about 255 acres. The embankment of the reservoir is about 5910 feet long and 22 feet high above the sill level of the sluice.[5]

Size

Area is 1,235 acres (500 ha; 1.930 sq mi); the length of the Waw Kandiya (Sinhalese: වැව් කන්ඩිය English: embankment) is 5,910 feet (1.119 mi) and height is 22 feet (6.7 m). The width of the top of the embankment is 6 feet (1.8 m) to 8 feet (2.4 m).[1][2]

Purpose

Built inside the ancient Anuradhapura, it supplied water to the city population.[1][2]

History

King Paduwasdeva of Sri Lanka, when married Subaddhakacanna from North India, and her seven brothers also came to Sri Lanka and established their villages. One of the brothers, Anuradha established Anuradhapura where he constructed the first reservoir. The reservoir was expanded by king Pandukabhaya. The reservoir was called Abaya Vapi at that time, in memory of one of King's uncles. The reservoir was used to feed the irrigation system.[5][6][7]

See also

• Anuradhapura Kingdom § Irrigation and water management
• Irrigation works in ancient Sri Lanka
• Basawakkulama inscription

References

1. "King Pandukabhaya (437 BC – 367 BC)". mahavamsa.org. 28 May 2008. Retrieved 2012-04-03.
2. Brohier, R.L. (2000) [1965]. Seeing Ceylon (4th ed.). Sooriya Publishers, Colombo. pp. 353–362.
3. "Anuradhapura Sri Lanka". Urlaub SriLanka. Retrieved 2012-04-03.
4. Novák, Pavel; Moffat, AIB; Nalluri, Chandra; Narayanan, RAIB (2017). Hydraulic structures. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-4822-6578-1.
5. "Basawakkulama Wewa - First Reservoir to be in the recorded history of Sri Lanka". AmazingLanka.com. 2014-10-05. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
6. Modder, FH (1896). "ANCIENT CITIES AND TEMPLES IN THE KURUNEGALA DISTRICT". The Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland. 14 (47): 134–154. ISSN 0304-2235.
7. Wright, Henry-John (2006). "Protrusions on Stepped Spillways to Improve Energy Dissipation". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)