A reservoir covering roughly 2,400 hectares, built by King Parakramabahu I in the 12th century as part of a wider irrigation system he described with the line 'not even a little water should flow into the ocean without being made useful to man.' The bund road along its edge gives wide views over the water and is a common spot to watch the sunset, with the silhouette of the Polonnaruwa hills in the distance. At 30-45 minutes and free entry, it works well slotted between larger visits rather than as a standalone destination.
What It Is
You walk along a raised earthen bund with water stretching toward the horizon on one side, birdlife along the shallows, and open sky that turns orange and pink at sunset.
Why Visit
It's a reminder that Polonnaruwa's ruins were part of a functioning irrigation civilization, and this reservoir still supplies water to farmland today, nearly 900 years later. It is not the first thing you should see in Polonnaruwa, but with two or more days it fills a gap the major sights leave. It pairs naturally with Royal Palace of Parakramabahu and Polonnaruwa Archaeological Museum - add it before or after without rearranging your day. Afternoon tends to work best here.
More on Polonnaruwa
You will find it in Polonnaruwa New Town. See where it ranks among the things to do in Polonnaruwa. The Polonnaruwa guide covers transport, costs and when to go.
We plan trips to Polonnaruwa and the rest of Sri Lanka. Tell us your dates and we will put a route together. Our routes are on the tours page.
