HOW BIGWIGS ENCROACHED PARAKRAMA SAMUDRAYA TO BUILD A HOTEL AND GARDEN

Dudley Sirisena purchased Hotel Sudu Araliya, which once belonged to Hotels Corporation around 1995. The hotel is situated near Theppan Ela, which flows into Parakrama Samudraya, within the Polonnaruwa Sanctuary. Parakrama Samudra was built by King Parakramabahu The First (Reign from 1153-1186) by combining several smaller tanks. This combined reservoir came to be known as the Samudraya. There is evidence to prove this marvel, as stone inscriptions installed at various points along the tank bund indicate, it is the Parakrama Samudraya. According to these inscriptions, the water level at the time was maintained at 198 metres, with the water reaching right up to the tank bund.

- By Prageeth Sampath Karunathilaka

When the reservoir is filled up to that level, the water reaches the tank bund. At present, the reservoir forms Parakrama Samudraya up to the bund. However, at present, the water level stands at 195 metres. Although the water level has dropped by 3 metres, if it were at its original level, all the houses and hotels in that area would be submerged by the waters of the Parakrama Samudraya. The road running from near Canal 1 to Kalahagala has been built along the bund of the reservoir, which stretches 12.8 kilometres in length and stands 9.45 metres high. The catchment area is 71.71 square kilometres. The water spread area is 2,539.50 hectares. The total water capacity of the reservoir is 1,340,700 million cubic metres. There are three main sluices, named Canal 1, Canal 2, and Canal 3.