Vannathimadu Ancient Pond in Pullavi Jungle (පුල්ලාවි වනයේ වණ්ණාතිමඩු පැරණි පොකුණ)

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Vannathimadu Ancient Pond in Pullavi Jungle

The Vannāthimadu Ancient Pond (Vannathimadu Kulam) in Vakarai is a 2.42-hectare oval reservoir likely dating to the Early Anurādhapura period. Surrounded by a raised earthen embankment, it still retains water and historically functioned as the primary water source for three nearby forest monasteries within the Pullavi Jungle.

The site known as the Vannāthimadu Ancient Pond in the Pullavi Jungle is located in Kayaṅkerni, within the Grāma Niladhāri Division of Kayaṅkerni 211-A, in the Divisional Secretariat Division of Kōrala Pattu North (Vakarai).

Access Route

Beginning from the Nāvaladi junction, travel along the Trincomalee A15 road past the 43rd kilometer post. At the end of the Kayaṅkerni bridge, turn right and continue along the Pullavi Forest road from Kayaṅkerni village for approximately 1 kilometer (0.6 miles). The pond site can be reached before arriving at the ancient monument sites.

Location of the Site and Nature of Archaeological Evidence

The ancient pond located within the forested area can be identified as a historic reservoir associated with the three ancient monastic sites discovered within the jungle. The locals call it the “Vannathimadu Kulam.” It is likely that this pond functioned as the primary water source for those monasteries. Accordingly, the pond too may have been constructed during the early Anurādhapura period.

Although a clearly defined entrance cannot now be identified, the pond retains an oval shape. A raised earthen embankment surrounds the pond, and even at present, it continues to retain water. The interior area of the pond extends across approximately 2.42 hectares (5.98 acres).

Geographical Coordinates

The exact location of the site is as follows:

North Latitude: 7°59′23.6″N
East Longitude: 81°30′47.9″E

References

Exploration and Documentation Division (Ed.). (2017). පුරාවිද්යා ස්ථාන හඳුනා ගැනීමේ ගවේෂණ වාර්තාව, මඩකලපුව දිස්ත්රික්කය. Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka.

Also See

Map of the Vannathimadu Ancient Pond in Pullavi Jungle

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The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

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Traveling to Vannathimadu Ancient Pond in Pullavi Jungle

Route from Trincomalee to Vannathimadu Ancient Pond in Pullavi Jungle

Through: Kinniya – Mutur – Serunuwara – Verugal
Distance: 95 km
Travel time: 2 hours
Driving directions : see on Google Maps

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