Kaludiya Pokuna of Mihintale | AmazingLanka.com

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Kaludiya Pokuna (Blackwater Pool) of Mihintale
Photo By : Uchitha Jayathissa

Amongst its serene, tranquil beautiful forest and bolder-clad environs, we find some of the earliest examples of Sinhalese hydraulic civilization in Mihintale. The monastic establishment brought about an ideal motive for the development of an impressive network of irrigation channels with the use of both natural and artificial ponds and waterways.

Out of the many ponds and waterways that have graced this area three ponds and bathing places can be identified even today;

The water bodies which were once crucial for the daily tasks of the monks are now no longer in use. However, they hold a significant historical value as they showcase the exceptional hydraulic engineering, landscaping, and sculpture skills of our ancestors.

Kaludiya pokuna

Situated at the foot of the western slopes of Mihintale it is the largest of the ponds. Most experts believe that Kaludiya Pokuna may probably be the ancient Porodini Pokuna mentioned in the tablets of Mahinda IV.

Kalu-diya Pokuna, literally translated means the black water pool. It is said that the name evolved out of respect to the sombre reflections of trees and boulders of the neighbouring forests and mountains, and is true to its description at most times of the day.

The complex of well-planned buildings around the pond is witness to an advanced hydraulic civilization with artificial moats running through some of the buildings; the bathhouses, and the toilets within the buildings.

Around the pond are the remains of an arama consisting of a stupa, uposathaghara or poya ge, the building where monks met at regular intervals to perform certain rituals pertaining to their conduct or behavior, cankamana patha, promenade for walking, parivena and pasada, residential cells janta ghara, bathhouse and vacca Kuti lavatory.

A cave dwelling found in a slight depression in the vicinity is noteworthy. Tucked so cosily under a massive overhanging of a boulder, smooth granite slabs and brick are blended together to form the enclosing walls instead of the usual brick-and-mortar. Some scholars believe that this would have been a bathing house attached to a bathing Pokuna in front, now silted up.

Access to this place is possible from the Kandy main road, almost directly opposite the entrance to the Rajagiri Kanda caves.

by Kishanie S. Fernando
Daily Mirror

Kaludiya Pokuna (Blackwater Pool) ruins of Mihintale

Also See

Mihintale – The cradle of Buddhism
Anuradhapura – The city of the God Kings

Map of Kaludiya Pokuna of Mihintale

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Driving Directions to Kaludiya Pokuna of Mihintale

Mihintale can be reached through many routes from Colombo. The two main routes are through Puttalam (Puttalama) and through Kurunegala. Traveling from Puttalam you will pass the scenic Wilpattu area. From Kurunegala, there are two main routes to Mihintale. The most common route is through Dambulla. The other route is through Galgamuwa. Out of all the routes, the most commonly used is the Kurunegala – Dambulla route (Route 2).

Route 01 from Colombo to Mihintale (A3)	Route 02 from Colombo to Mihintale
Though : Negombo – Chilaw – Puttalam Distance :231 km Travel Time : 5.15 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map	Through : Central Expressway – Badagamuwa – Dambulla Distance : 223 km Travel Time : 4.45 hours Driving Directions : see on Google maps
Route 03 from Colombo to Mihintale	Route from Anuradhapura to Mihintale
Though : Ambepussa – Kurunegala – Padeniya – Thambuthegama Distance : 232 km Travel Time : 5 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map	Distance :15 km Travel Time : 30 minutes Driving Directions : see on Google map