Basawakkulama Reservoir, in other words, Abhayavapiya is a well-known reservoir in Anuradhapura. Local and foreign tourists visiting Anuradhapura never miss the lake. This is a great opportunity for tourists looking forward to enjoying a spectacular sunset over Abhayawapiya Lake. Because it’s such a beautiful sight. In addition to the Abhayagiri Lake, Swarnamali Maha Dagoba has added several colors to the scene. It was built by King Pandukabhaya who ruled the kingdom around 377-307. Basawakkulama tank is the first step of the ancient Anuradhapura irrigation system Designed to utilize rainwater.
Abhayawapiya Wewa is capable of bare of 1910 acre-feet water capacity. The capacity of the tank is about 174 ha of water. The bund is 3900 feet in length and 15.5 in average depth. The main service of the lake is to provide safe water and sanitation to pilgrims and citizens and to provide irrigation facilities for 450 acres. Even during the monsoon season, Abhayawapiya Lake is not fertile. The Wewa contains a Biso Kotuwa, Pita Wana (Overt flow of water), Sorowwa (Outflow of water) which added significance to the construction.
[envira-gallery id=”7391″]Evidence archaeologists define it as one of the proudest ancient irrigation systems in Sri Lanka. It is said that King Pandukabhaya built this tank after ending an eternal battle with his uncle. He was a pioneer in the construction of the capital of the Kingdom of Anuradhapura. He ruled the kingdom for 70 years. The tanks were built by the Sinhalese all over Sri Lanka under the theme “Tank, Dagoba, Village, and Temple”.
