Kuttam Pokuna: the twin ponds of Anuradhapura

Kuttam Pokuna is a pair of stone-lined ponds in the Abhayagiri monastery area of northern Anuradhapura. Kuttam means pair and pokuna means pond. The ponds are stepped, with flights of stairs descending to the water, and are thought to date from roughly the 8th to 10th centuries.

They were probably used by monks of Abhayagiri for bathing. The two ponds differ in size and slightly in style, suggesting they were built at different times, and the northern one is thought to be later.

Kuttam Pokuna is one of several bathing ponds in Anuradhapura's monasteries, but it is the best preserved and most elegant. It was restored in the 20th century by the archaeological department, which rebuilt sections of the stonework that had collapsed. Monastic baths like this show that personal cleanliness was an important part of monastic discipline.

Kuttam Pokuna's water system is its real marvel. Water was brought from a tank through underground channels and passed through filtration chambers, where silt settled, before entering the ponds through a carved spout. Outflow channels drained the ponds from the bottom, keeping the water fresh.

The system shows the same skill as the great tanks and canals of the Cultural Triangle, applied on a small, refined scale. Guides can point out the inlet chambers and spouts.

The filtration chamber at Kuttam Pokuna is easy to find once you know where to look: a small, stone-lined pit beside the northern pond, linked by a channel to the water. Silt settled in the chamber before the cleaner water flowed on. The idea mirrors the larger silt traps used in the great irrigation tanks of the Cultural Triangle.

Kuttam Pokuna's details reward a slow look. A five-headed cobra, a naga, is carved near the water as a guardian. Pots of plenty decorate the tops of the stair balustrades. The stone blocks are finely fitted, and the steps are still crisp after many centuries.

In the early morning or late afternoon, the light on the stone and the reflections in the water make Kuttam Pokuna one of the most photogenic sites in Anuradhapura.

Water levels at Kuttam Pokuna rise and fall with the seasons. After the rains, roughly from November to January, the ponds hold more water and reflections are strongest. In the dry months the lower steps are exposed, showing the full depth of the construction. Both have their appeal for a first-time visitor.

Kuttam Pokuna is part of the Abhayagiri complex and covered by the main Anuradhapura sacred city ticket. Allow 20 to 30 minutes. It is close to the Samadhi Buddha and the Abhayagiri stupa, so it combines easily in a loop.

Do not climb on the walls or enter the water. Shoes can usually stay on, as it is not a shrine. Lankan Stays & Trails guides often end the Abhayagiri loop here in the late afternoon, when the stone glows and the site is quiet.

Monkeys are common in the trees around the ponds, so keep food out of sight.

Kuttam Pokuna is a good place to rest in the shade during an Abhayagiri loop. Trees around the ponds provide cover, and benches nearby let you sit for a few minutes. Carry water, as there are few vendors in this northern part of the sacred city.

Kuttam Pokuna sits in the northern sacred city, within the Abhayagiri complex. The Samadhi Buddha is a few minutes away, the Abhayagiri stupa and museum a little further, and the Ratnaprasada with its famous guardstone close by.

The building known as Mahasen's Palace, with the finest moonstone in Sri Lanka, is also in this area.