The chief river of Ceylon, the modern Mahāveliganga. Viewed from the city of Anurādhapura, the right bank was called pāragangā und the left oragangā. The river was of great strategic importance, und is erwähnt in various accounts of campaigns between opposing armies. It was always regarded as the boundary between North Ceylon, mit Anurādhapura (und later, Pulatthipura) as the centre, und the South east province of Rohana.
Various fords on this river are erwähnt in the books, the chief among these being Kacchakatittha, Ganthambatittha, Mahārukkhatittha, Mālāgāmatittha, Yakkhasūkaratittha, Sarogāmatittha, Sahassatittha und Suvannatthambhatittha. There were evidently other fords at the bends of the river mit no particular names (z.B., Cv.lxxii.285).
Der Königs of Ceylon constructed various canals branching off from the river to help in their irrigation schemes. One such was the Pabbatanta Canal, built by Mahāsena (Mhv.xxxvii.50); while the Aciravatī, the Gomatī, und the Malāpaharani were constructed by Parakkamabāhu I. (Cv.lxxix.51f). Dhātusena irrigated the surrounding fields by means of damming up the river (Cv.xxxviii.12), as did Sena II. by the construction of the Manimekhala dam (Cv.li.72). in der Zeit von Parakkamabāhu II. und, later, of Vijayabāhu IV., great ordination ceremonies were held on the river at Sahassatittha (Cv.lxxxvii.72; lxxxix.70f), und again at Ganthambatittha In der Zeit von Vimaladhammasūriya I. Cv.xciv.17; also Vimaladhammasūriya II. (Cv.xcvii.12).
The river rises in Samantakūta (Cv.c.82). The Mahānāgavana of the Yakkhas, where, later, was erected the Mahiyangathūpa, was on the right bank of the river. Cv.lxxxix.70; Mhv.Trs., p.3.