Kotmale Reservoir
A large reservoir and dam set among terraced tea hills below Nuwara Eliya, with sweeping views and a hilltop temple built to replace villages lost to the water.
Nestled between the Kadadora and Tispane hills in Sri Lanka's central highlands, Kotmale Reservoir sits behind one of the country's most significant hydroelectric dams, an engineering project that reshaped this entire valley's landscape and history in the process. Construction began in February 1979 under the Accelerated Mahaweli Development Programme, a government initiative that compressed what was originally planned as a thirty year undertaking into just six years, with financial backing from Sweden. The dam itself was ceremonially completed in 1985, standing 87 meters tall and roughly 520 to 600 meters long, generating power through three 67 MW turbines for a total capacity of 201 MW, making it the second largest hydroelectric station in the country.
What makes Kotmale genuinely striking isn't just the engineering though, it's what lies beneath the water. Filling the reservoir submerged more than 14 tea estates, 57 villages, and around 54 ancient temples, displacing thousands of families in the process. During periods of severe drought, when water levels drop low enough, the ruins of Kadadora Vihara occasionally reemerge, sculpted Buddha statues and ancient carvings breaking the surface for a rare, fleeting glimpse of everything the reservoir otherwise conceals.
A dedicated stupa, the second largest in Sri Lanka after Ruwanveli Maha Seya in Anuradhapura, was later built nearby specifically to honor the temples lost beneath the water, alongside the Kotmale Dam Museum, which offers both historical context and one of the better viewpoints overlooking the dam itself. Downstream, both St. Clair's and Devon Falls draw their water from this same system, meaning Kotmale's story quietly underpins some of the region's most photographed natural landmarks.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Free
- Opening hours: Daylight hours
- Time needed: About 1 hour
- Best time: Late afternoon
Getting there
Around Kotmale, about 30km from Nuwara Eliya toward Gampola.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to visit Kotmale Reservoir?
- Free.
- What are the opening hours at Kotmale Reservoir?
- Daylight hours.
- How long should I spend at Kotmale Reservoir?
- Plan for about 1 hour.
- When is the best time to visit Kotmale Reservoir?
- Late afternoon.
- How do I get to Kotmale Reservoir?
- Around Kotmale, about 30km from Nuwara Eliya toward Gampola.