Tissamaharama

An ancient dry-zone town beside a great reservoir, the main base for safaris to Yala and Bundala national parks and a former royal capital of Ruhuna.

Overview

Tissamaharama, often shortened to Tissa, sits in the far south-east of Sri Lanka amid paddy fields, lotus-covered lakes and scrub jungle. Once the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Ruhuna, it is crowned by a huge white dagoba and ringed by centuries-old irrigation tanks. Today most travellers come here as the launch point for early-morning game drives into nearby Yala and Bundala, and the town is well set up with guesthouses, safari operators and jeep hire. It also makes a convenient stop on the way to the pilgrimage town of Kataragama just to the north.

History

Tissamaharama was founded in the 3rd century BCE and grew into the capital of the southern Kingdom of Ruhuna, a refuge and power base for Sinhalese royalty during times of invasion in the north. King Kavantissa and his son Dutugemunu, who later united the island, are closely tied to the region. The town's great tank, Tissa Wewa, and its monumental stupa date from this era, and extensive ruins at nearby Akurugoda mark one of the largest ancient citadels in the country after Anuradhapura.