Kandy Lake

The artificial lake (Kandy Lake /the Nuwara Wewa) was built by the last king of Kandy (and of Sri Lanka), Sri Wickrama Rajasinha to beautify the Temple of the Tooth Relic (Dalada Maligawa) by excavating paddy fields in 1807. He called this artificial] lake the: Kiri Muhudu or the Milky Ocean. He also added the “Valakuly Bamma” (clouds wall) around the lake, but before he could complete it, British forces invaded the city of Kandy and imprisoned the last Kandyan King in 1815 CE. The Valakulu Wall still remains in the same unfinished state with a length of 2060 feet.

The triangular holes in the wall have been used to light oil lamps at night. This same design has been used for the outer wall of Sri Dalada Maligawa. He also built a dam across the lake to travel to the other side of the lake, but then he destroyed it from both ends, leaving only a portion in the centre, creating an island. On the Dalada Maligawa side of the lake is the Queens Bathing House. This is partially in the lake itself. The perimeter of the lake is about 3.4 km, and the Valakulu wall runs to about 2060 feet around the lake.

(Heritage Lanka by Neil Kiriella 2017, P:210)

Unique Sri Lanka

Kandy Lake (Nuwara Weva)

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