The Beira Lake

The Beira Lake came to be when the Portuguese colonists had gained possession of Colombo. They had set up the fort and after several frequent assaults on the fort by the people of the Kandyan kingdom; the Portuguese executed a plan to protect the fort. Since the fort was encircled by the harbour and marshland, it was decided to use the marshland area to protect the fort in which a channel was constructed but could not be completed to due to the vast size of the fort. However they had discovered a large quantity of water which flowed between the hills of Dematagoda and St Sebastian in which they had joined this channel with the uncompleted channel thereby forming a new body of water, the Beira Lake.
Although it was the Portuguese who had built this lake, it was the Dutch who had made full utilization of it. Expansion was facilitated by flooding the lowlands around the lake and the construction of many canals which resulted in the formation of several islands in the lake, of which a well known island is Slave Island. Slave Island was a place where the Dutch had kept their slaves. Another area which was once an island was Captain’s Gardens which host Colombo’s oldest Hindu kovil which still exists today – the Sri Kailasanathar Swami Devashthanam. Another island was once large enough to contain a plantation of 600 coconut trees and a village, possibly where the neighbourhood of Polwatta (‘coconut garden’) is situated today, behind the President’s House.
Eventually it was the British who recognized the aesthetic charm of the lake and transformed it into an area of recreation by removing all the crocodiles and the introduction of activities such as rowing and yachting. They introduced the annual regatta which was held on the lake. Festivities and parties were celebrated on the grassy banks and a grand ball was held in commemoration of the victory of Battle of Waterloo by the Duke of Wellington in 1815.
It was during the British era that a portion of Slave Island became the first British Botanical garden in Ceylon in 1810. Named Kew Gardens, it is located on present day’s Kew Road and was opened for the cultivation of seedlings provided by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London.
Unfortunately, by the mid 19th century, the environment started to deteriorate due to pollution of the upcoming industries surrounding the area and the dumping of waste into the lake. There was a severe reduction of the water area caused by the reclamation work of the Lake Development Scheme.
The concept of the name ‘Beira Lake’ is still unknown although there are many assumptions, of which one such says that the lake was named after a Portuguese engineer named Beira who was entrusted by Captain Lopo de Brito to build the lake. Another theory which is supported by a granite plaque recovered from the lake that reads ‘De Beer 1700’ gives evidence that the name Beira was derived from the name De Beer, a Dutch engineer who had built the channels and water trenches of Colombo Fort in 1700. Many people believe that ‘Beira’ is a Portuguese word that means ‘bank or edge of lake.’
It was once huge encompassing an area of 410 acres but with the development of the city, it now covers approximately 160 acres. Although reduced in size, the Beira Lake still remains an important and prominent attraction in Colombo for its serenity and surroundings cuts through the hustle bustle of the city.
Since Beira Lake is situated in the heart of the city of Colombo among a setting of serenity and calmness, it provides an excellent spot for leisure and recreational activities such as rowing and walking around the lake or strolling down the bridge that takes you to ‘Lovers’ Island’. There are paddle boats in which you could enjoy. These are two seater swan boats with peddles in which you can peddle and use the steering wheel for navigation.