Sembuwatta

Location – Elkaduwa

Matale Disrict

Lake: 066 – 493 5766
Estate Office : 066 – 368 2459

Central Province 

Sri Lanka

Sembuwatta is an eye-catching and must visit place situated in the Perl of Indian Ocean. But it is not popular among tourist. Especially Sembuwatta Lake is a man-made lake located in the middle of the tea plantation. The lake is created from natural spring water. It is believed to be 30 feet to 39 feet deep. 

Sembuwatta is a really nice place where you can spend a day with your all family members. You can walk around the entire lake.

This is kind of a good place to take wedding photographs. Most directors select this place to make their Tele-dramas and films. You will amazed by looking the Beauty of the nature at Sembuwatta.  

• History of Sembuwatta

British people started to plant tea at Sembuwatta during the colonial period. They used the Lake area as a Polo ground. But they started a tea factory in Sembuwatta estate in 1949. Therefore they created a Lake in the Polo Ground to generate electricity to the factory. 

Now it has gone 20 years by closing the tea factory.  But still the lake generates the power to the houses around the lake area. 

• Etymology of Sembuwatta

There is a belief that a Gold SEMBU (Pot) was emerged from the water spring which was situated near the tea estate. After a Kankam who was working at Sembuwatta estate escape to India with the Gold Sembu. It is also believed that his son built a Kovil where the water spring was situated in. Therefore it is started to called as SEMBUWATTA. You can see the ruins of Kovil when you visit there.

In 2005 Mr. Radly Disage created a swimming pool near the Sembuwatta lake.

Today there is a children park and Boat service for those who likes to travel around the lake.