Sorabora Lake (Horabora Wewa)

If you love calm places, quiet water, birdsong and real history, Sorabora Lake in Mahiyanganaya is a hidden gem you should not miss when visiting Sri Lanka.

It is a 2000 year old man made reservoir built during the reign of King Dutugemunu. Even more impressive, it was created by blocking a natural rock gap between two hills a brilliant example of ancient Sri Lankan engineering. Sorabora Lake was built by a giantBulatha, according to local legend, under the orders of King Dutugemunu.

According to ancient history, instead of building a typical dam, the giant Bulatha used a natural rock formation between two mountains and sealed the gap to create the reservoir. This technique is extremely rare and shows the advanced irrigation knowledge of ancient Sri Lanka. Even today, the original stone structure can still be seen.