Director General of the Central Cultural Fund (CCF), Dr. Nilan Cooray, said that recent maintenance work at Sigiriya has led to new findings about the ancient fountain system, Newsfirst reported.
Dr. Cooray explained that the Sigiriya fountains typically become active during the rainy season each year. However, at the end of last year, they were found to be inactive.
The initial assumption was that the underground pipe system had become blocked with sludge, he said.
As part of efforts to restore the fountains, authorities launched cleaning and maintenance work.
During this process, it was established that the moat surrounding Sigiriya, which maintains a water level slightly higher than the fountains, feeds the fountains.
When filled during the rainy season, the moat channels water into the fountains, activating the system. Dr. Cooray said.
“For years, there were only estimates about how the Sigiriya fountains functioned. Through this work, we have now been able to establish the mechanism with greater certainty,” Dr. Cooray said.