Sri Lanka does not own any natural lakes such as Lake Superior or Lake Baikal. However, today it does own more than 22,000 man-made lakes (or tanks) locally called “Wewa”. It is said that more than 34,000 Wewas were here in Sri Lanka during the ancient Rajarata Kingdom from the 6th century BC to the 13th century AD.

The ancient Rajarata Kingdom mainly covers present-day Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts belonging to the dry zone of the country.  It has low annual precipitation of around 1750mm and long dry periods. The inhabitants of this area have understood that life was extremely difficult without a proper irrigation system. The construction of Wewa was initiated by King Pandukabhaya between 437 -367 BC. The first Wewa called Abhayavapi or Abhaya Wewa that also presently known as Basawakkulama Wewa situated at Anuradhapura was built during that period.

The Wewas were constructed to store water specially rainwater to ensure the availability of water for agricultural purposes and domestic use throughout the year.

However, the water management of the wet zone of the country was different from the dry zone because water is readily available in rivers and water streams. The ancient people built anicuts across the water streams and managed the water requirement as and when required for agriculture.

Thus the concept called Wewai (tank), Dagabai (stupa), Gamai (village), Pansalai (temple), was coined. These village-level institutions intertwined and supported each other.  Stupa and temple symbolized the Buddhist ethos and fulfilled the spiritual and educational needs of the villagers where Wewa symbolized the material needs and fulfilled the agricultural and domestic needs of the villagers.

Ancient Sri Lankan village was developed as a geographical unit with a group of people who had common interests with an agricultural lifestyle. The common feature of the ancient village is a series of houses near the paddy field. The extended families of parents, children, relatives of grandmother and grandfather, brothers and sisters of father and/or mother and their families lived in this series of houses.

The houses were built with mud walls called Warichchi Bitti (Wattle and daub) and coconut leaf thatched roof. Normally houses had two rooms with an entrance called Baradaya and a storeroom called Atuwa.  There was a shed for cows and a place to keep agriculture equipment behind the house. Fruit and vegetable plants surrounded the house. Families in the series of houses used common equipment to grind Kurahan (Finger millet) called Kurahan Gala and Sekkuwa to extract oil from coconut. 

This description of the ancient Sri Lankan village was described in a book named “A Historical Relation of the Island CEYLON IN THE EAST INDIA” by Robert Knox, a British who lived 20 years in Sri Lanka from 1660 to 1680.

We, FantAsia Tours will make special arrangements to take you to the village in the area called Dedigama that still has maintained these ancient traditions. However, Dedigama does not belong to the dry zone but still, you can experience living in a traditional ancient house built with Warichchi Bitti (Wattle and daub) and coconut leaf thatched roof.  You will be able to see an ancient water management system for agriculture purposes, ancient house activities of making traditional lunch or dinner, grinding Kurahan and preparing Helapa (Traditional Sri Lankan sweet), visit the vegetable chena where you will be able to learn traditional techniques of farmers and participate in activities of harvesting or cultivation of paddy.

The beautiful village of Dedigama is located in the Kegalle District 66 km northeast of Colombo, 28 km south of Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage and 50 km north of Kitulgala.  It has a strong historical background and King Parakramabahu the Great (1153-1186), a master in irrigation management in ancient Sri Lanka was born in Dedigama. 

 Furthermore, you will be able to visit Dedigama Kotavehera, an ancient stupa and the museum, Stripura Cave which has a beautiful stone arch at the entrance and a historical background dated back to the 2nd century BC.  You could also visit Menikkadawara Purana Viharaya with Kandyan era temple paintings and scenic Thali Ella Waterfall which are the most interesting places that we will visit during your stay at Dedigama according to your desire.

The discoveries of an authentic rural village in Sri Lanka by experiencing the simple peaceful village life and soaked up with the village's abundant natural beauty will mesmerise you definitely. It would be an experience for a lifetime.

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