Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Ponds)
A pair of beautifully built bathing pools from the monastic era, fed by an ingenious ancient filtration system, their fine stonework still crisp after centuries.
On the eastern edge of the sprawling Abhayagiri monastic complex, two elegant stone lined bathing pools stand as one of ancient Sri Lanka's clearest demonstrations of sophisticated hydraulic engineering. Though their exact origins remain uncertain, most historians attribute Kuttam Pokuna's construction to the reign of King Aggabodhi I, sometime between 575 and 608 CE, built to serve the daily bathing needs of monks belonging to the Kaparamula fellowship residing at Abhayagiri. The two ponds aren't identical twins despite the name, the northern pond measures 91 feet in length while the southern pond stretches to 132 feet, both sharing a width of 51 feet, evidence that the smaller northern pond was likely built first, with the larger southern pond added later.
What makes the ponds genuinely remarkable is the engineering hidden beneath their surface, water traveled roughly 3 km from a rainwater reservoir through underground ducts, passing through a filtration system before entering the northern pond via a carved stone spout shaped like a makara, a mythical creature blending fish, crocodile and elephant features, then flowing onward to the southern pond through another underground pipe. Naga serpent statues, recognized in Buddhist tradition as guardians of water, appear throughout the site, and staircases descending into each pool are decorated with punkalas, pot shaped symbols of prosperity, while excavations beneath the northern pond's foundation uncovered a metal container holding small bronze figures of fish, frogs, crabs and tortoises, along with a bronze statue of a female dancer, artifacts now preserved at the Anuradhapura Archaeological Museum.
Restored significantly in 1885 under Robert Wilson Ievers and again in the 1950s under the Department of Archaeology's Professor Senarath Paranavithana, Kuttam Pokuna remains one of the best preserved and most visually striking examples of ancient Sinhalese hydraulic architecture anywhere in Anuradhapura, its precise stonework and quiet symmetry offering a genuinely different kind of beauty than the towering stupas nearby.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Covered by the Anuradhapura sacred city ticket, around USD 25
- Opening hours: Daylight hours
- Time needed: 20 to 30 minutes
- Best time: Daytime
Getting there
In the Abhayagiri complex in the north of the sacred city.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to visit Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Ponds)?
- Covered by the Anuradhapura sacred city ticket, around USD 25.
- What are the opening hours at Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Ponds)?
- Daylight hours.
- How long should I spend at Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Ponds)?
- Plan for 20 to 30 minutes.
- When is the best time to visit Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Ponds)?
- Daytime.
- How do I get to Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Ponds)?
- In the Abhayagiri complex in the north of the sacred city.