Recent maintenance work at Sigiriya has uncovered new insights into its ancient fountain system, Director General of the Central Cultural Fund (CCF), Nilan Cooray, confirmed.

The fountains, usually active during the rainy season, were found inactive last year, prompting restoration efforts.

Cleaning revealed that the moat surrounding Sigiriya, which holds a slightly higher water level, channels water into the fountains to activate them.

“For years, there were only estimates about how the fountains worked. Now we’ve been able to confirm the mechanism with greater certainty,” Cooray stated.