Diyawanna Lake

A midst the steady drone of traffic who would have thought kotte to be a fun place. However, this particular spot was seemingly so, as there I was amongst others watching small sail boats softly whirring on the Diyawanna Oya. Besides the onlookers, children, their eyes sparkling with expectation, were set on riding the giant swan shaped paddle boats, while others simply indulged in a stroll alongside the river with their folks.

Water is known to have a calming yet enrapturing effect on our senses, & by this strip beside the oya(Lake), life is at its best; pulsating with all its pleasant ambience, the narrow rampart may have stretched just over a kilometer at the most, but its guests didn’t mind the repeat-recreational walks. Their demeanors said it all.. They were among friends, family & loved ones & they were simply happy to be at peace by the water.

The large parking lot adjacent to Diyawanna Oya made it easy to access this beautiful, free spectacle. Along the length of the promenade, people were spoilt for choice when it came time for a breather, with ample number of benches facing the rippling stream. And yet, some preferred to lie in the cool grass or laze on the large stone stairwell that led down to the water’s edge.

As dusk fell canoes took to the water to merge with the sunset silhouettes. The constant breeze kept those sail boats speckling the river conjuring images of a venetian postcard and everywhere I looked was a blend of the elements graced with a vibe of placidity.. a truly amazing symphony of the environment.

In poetic praises, also referred to as sandesa kavi of the 15^th century AD, relayed stories that commended booming agriculture, towns & their economies, especially of those thriving in and around the Diyawanna Oya, of the kotte kingdom. The poets were usually monks form the kingdom’s many temples & their kavi or poetic messages were sent to the king via birds. It is said that the kotte kingdom, among many other reasons, was praised as such as it was blessed with the protection & viable advantages of the Oya. Even today, that much is true.

One could call this the green dozen, it was lush with greenery for one thing, and it was amidst a bustling town. People needed this, it was a quintessential setting, and folks came here for refreshment, to simplify the challenges of the mundane. The nurturing combination of the water, the walkway, the trees, the grass and the pedestrian crossing takes you from busy to benevolent.

Recent development have made the area around this part of the Oya what it is now with the river’s perimeter cleared of brush & widened for quite a breathtaking view of the water. The space, symbolically welcomes the discerning. You could say that life is good for the city-dwellers as they can actually have a balance of both worlds. Just as one would head-off to the nearest ocean gateway at Galle Face Green, Diyawanna Oya could be the destination for a stroll by the riverside or even a river-boat ride. The oya was fast gaining popularity no doubt.

Kotte, although the capital city of the Sri Lanka, was lesser known for its “fun” aspect than that if its commercial counterpart, colombo. However, for a city seriously bound to its official surroundings, such as the parliament building amongst others, this new laidback space around Diyawanna Oya is what turns the tables.

It was easy to forget the extremely busy main road that ran right beside the streamlined rampart or school or even the office hours that hung on the brink of a fast-ending weekend.