
A little beyond the town of Kahatagasdigiliya, my destination, is the historic Gonagiri Rajamaha Viharaya which rises majestically against the backdrop of huge rock boulder.
Kaludiya pokuna, literally translated means the black water pool. It is said that the name evolved due to the sombre reflections of trees and boulders of the neighboring forests and mountains, and is true to its description at most times of the day.
Amongst its serene, tranquil beautiful forest and bolder clad environs we find some of the earliest examples of Sinhalese hydraulic civilization in Mihintale. Out of the many ponds and waterways that have graced this area three ponds and bathing places can be identified even today; Naga pokuna, Sinha pokuna and Kaludiya pokuna.
Amongst its serene, tranquil beautiful forest and boulder clad environs we find some of the earliest examples of Sinhalese hydraulic civilization in Mihintale. Out of the many ponds and waterways that have graced this area three ponds and bathing places can be identified even today; Naga pokuna, Sinha pokuna and Kaludiya pokuna.
To the west of the Mahaseya at Mihintale are the remains of a smaller stupa identified as Mihindu Seya, the one which king Uttiya, Devanampiyatissa’s successor built enshrining the relics of the great Sage Mahinda