Sorabora Lake

Sorabora Lake near Mahiyangana is an ancient irrigation reservoir whose construction is attributed in local legend to Bulathagama, a giant who worked for the ancient king Dutugemunu in the 1st century BC — said to have carried the stone boulders that formed the sluice gates on his shoulders. The lake is a functioning reservoir serving local agriculture. What makes it genuinely distinctive today is the tradition of fishing from ancient hollowed-log dugout canoes (called 'doni') found at this lake but rarely elsewhere in Sri Lanka. Local fishermen can often be seen poling these near-submerged craft across the still water in the early morning. The surrounding countryside, at the junction of the hill country and the dry zone lowlands near Mahiyangana, is scenic and off the standard tourist circuit, making the lake a peaceful and authentic stop.