Ancient constructions of Sri Lanka
The ancient Sinhalese excelled in the construction of tanks (Wevas) or reservoirs, dagobas (or stupas) and palaces in Sri Lanka, as evident from the ruins which displays a rich variety of architectural forms.
Major irrigation schemes of Sri Lanka, as evident from the earliest written records in the Mahawansa, date back to the fourth century BCE (Parker, 1881; Brohier, 1934). The purpose and determination in the construction of the irrigation systems are depicted by the words of Parakrama Bahu I, 1153–1186 CE: "Let not even a drop of rain water go to the sea without benefiting man".
The Sri Lankan chronicle, the Culavamsa which was written in the Buddhist canonical language Pali, enumerates his works both as a provincial ruler in western Sri Lanka and later as the monarch of the whole country: he either built or restored 163 major tanks (reservoirs), 2,617 minor tanks, 3,910 irrigation channels, 328 stone sluices and 168 sluice blocks, besides repairing 1,969 breaches in embankments. Among the reservoirs he built was the tank at Polonnaruwa, called on account of its size the Parakrama Samudra (translation: Sea of Parakrama). With an area of 30 square kilometres (12 square miles) and an enclosing embankment 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) long, it irrigated nearly 100 km2 (39 sq mi).
The final achievements were highlighted by Sir Henry Ward, Governor of Ceylon: It is possible, that in no other part of the world are there to be found within the same space, the remains of so many works of irrigation, which are, at the same time, of such great antiquity, and of such vast magnitude as Ceylon. Probably no other country can exhibit works so numerous, and at the same time so ancient and extensive, within the same limited area, as this Island.
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