“The Evolution and Brilliance of Ancient Irrigation in Ceylon (Hela; Sri Lanka): A Legacy of Science and Civilization.” – By Dr. Sunil Wimalawansa
Water has always been the lifeblood of civilization. In ancient Ceylon—modern-day Sri Lanka, historically known as Hela—our visionary engineers, under the guidance of dedicated monarchs, developed one of the world’s most sophisticated irrigation systems. This hydraulic civilization demonstrated foresight, engineering skill, and ecological balance, creating a sustainable network that supported thriving communities and abundant agriculture for centuries.
The fundamentals of such water-related engineering marvels are highlighted in the following article on Lankaweb. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/
My tribute goes to the invaluable insights of pioneering irrigation engineers such as Joseph Needham and D.L.O. Mendis, along with dedicated professionals like Mr. Godfrey de Silva—former Chief Irrigation Engineer in Kandy and later Chairman of the Mahaweli Authority—and other pragmatic engineers who deeply valued the nature and beneficial coexistence inherent in Sri Lanka’s ancient hydraulic heritage.
Through the Peradeniya Exploris Club (UEC) that began in 1971, we organized hiking, climbing, canoeing, and cycling trips virtually every weekend for its members and outsiders. In an unrelated incident to the main topic here, in 1973, we planned a trip along the Maduru Oya, from south of Mahiyanganaya to Manampitiya bridge, via thick jungle, using a partly inflatable rubber dinghy (named Crocodile). However, despite reports of ample water (as from pundits in Colombo), there was little water in the Oya, insufficient to ride. Consequently, we were forced to carry the raft for the entire journey.
This unexpected challenge turned into a blessing in disguise: we spent two nights in the jungle, witnessing an abundance of wildlife, including elephants, bears, pythons, wild boar, and numerous facilitating bird species that we do not see in our hometowns.
Additionally, we discovered a well-crafted, intact “sorowwa” (sluice) hidden in the thick jungle (made up of slabs of granite/stone and bricks), long before any surveys were conducted for a previously destroyed dam (the well remnant of ancient hydraulic sluice) in the path of Maduru Oya, a few miles before the river ended. We spent a couple of hours there, walking through the original bund and enjoying the wildlife, including a herd of elephants.
Image Source : amazinglanka.com
The above sluices were covered with bushes, but we were able to creep into this sluice at that time. We noticed that several articles written since 1980, state that, “at the time, neither the government nor the designers had been aware of the existence of an ancient dam and a sluice structure of this nature, about 100 m downstream.
Yet, we witnessed that a few years prior to (even) planning of the Maduru Oya had begun. As we typically do with new findings during our explorations, we informed the archaeology, irrigation (via Mr. Godfrey de Silva), and wildlife departments of our exciting discoveries, just as we had with another discovery, such as novel inscriptions, in the North Central Province. It seems they didn’t take any action.
