Kandalama Reservoir, dam in Kandalama

Kandalama Reservoir is a large man-made lake in central Sri Lanka created by a dam approximately 21 meters high and stretching over a mile long. The water body spans several kilometers and is surrounded by green hills and agricultural fields, with the dam itself forming a solid structure of stone and earth.

The reservoir was formed by a dam across the Mirisgoniya River, a main tributary of Kala Wewa. Its construction is not recorded in the chronicles and is attributed to the reign of a king of the Lambakarna dynasty. It was among the Rajarata tanks destroyed by the invader Kalinga Magha. The Department of Irrigation rehabilitated it between 1952 and 1957, raising and lengthening the bund and resettling people who had lived on the tank bed.

The Sinhala name Kandalama comes from a legend that the land was offered to the ears of the reclining Buddha statue at the Dambulla Rajamaha Viharaya. The reservoir lies beside the Kaludiya Pokuna Forest archaeological site, and the Kandalama Hotel was built at the tank during the 1950s rehabilitation works.

The area is easiest to visit as a day trip from nearby attractions like the Dambulla rock temple, as they are located along the same route. The best times to visit are early morning or at sunset when the light is most pleasant and the surroundings remain quiet.

The reservoir is bordered by the Kaludiya Pokuna Forest archaeological site, and the Kandalama hotel stands on the reservoir's edge. The tank was formed by damming the Mirisgoniya River, a main tributary of Kala Wewa, and its water is used for irrigation as far as Kekirawa.