Hiriwadunna sits three kilometres north of Habarana, a working agricultural settlement where 120 families cultivate rice, vegetables, and spices using methods unchanged for generations. The village entered Sri Lanka's cultural tourism circuit in 2008 when local farmers established a cooperative to host visitors in their fields and homes. Unlike staged reconstructions near major ruins, Hiriwadunna remains an active farming community where irrigation channels date to the Anuradhapura period and chena cultivation follows monsoon rhythms. The landscape is shaped by water. Hiriwadunna Tank, a reservoir built in the 11th century, supplies the village's paddy networks through a series of earthen canals. During the yala season from May through September, water levels recede to expose mud banks where egrets and painted storks feed. Farmers plant kurahan rice varieties in these fields, transplanting seedlings by hand in coordinated work parties called attam. The catamaran rides included in most Hiriwadunna village tour packages cross the tank's northern arm, where lotus blooms float among submerged tree stumps. Village tour experiences centre on three elements: agriculture, transport, and food. Bullock carts—wooden platforms mounted on solid wheels—carry visitors through narrow bunds separating rice plots. The carts move at walking pace, allowing close views of farmers winnowing grain and repairing sluice gates. Cooking demonstrations take place in traditional outdoor kitchens where firewood fuels clay stoves and coconut milk is extracted using hand-turned graters. Meals feature red rice, jackfruit curry, gotukola sambol, and papadam fried in coconut oil. The village's appeal lies in its working status. Tour groups encounter farmers mid-task rather than performers in costume. Children walk to school along the same paths visitors follow. Dogs sleep in the shade of jak trees. Chickens scratch in front yards. The tours operate between 8:30 and 16:30 daily, with morning departures preferred for cooler temperatures and better light across the paddy fields. The $25 per-person fee supports the village cooperative and covers all activities, transport, and a full meal prepared by resident cooks.