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Kuttam Pokuna (twin ponds or pools) are well preserved old bathing tanks or swimming pool in Sri Lanka. This pair of ponds was built by the Sinhalese in the ancient Anuradhapura Kingdom. They form part of the Abhayagiri vihāra complex and are an example of the works in the field of hydrological engineering, architecture and art of the ancient Sinhalese.
The name Twin Ponds is misleading, because they are not of the same age: The smaller northern pond (see below) is said to be older than the larger southern pond.
A parapet was built around each of the ponds. The faces of the ponds are cut granite slabs as are the bottom and the sides of the ponds. The ponds are made wider at the top than at the bottom, giving them a stepped slope, with steps too narrow to descend. Flights of stairs are seen on the northern and southern ends of the ponds. The southern pond has an additional flight of stairs on the western side. Unlike the other stairs, these do not protrude from the side of the pond. The stairs lead to the bottom of the pond and are decorated with punkalas, or pots of abundance, and scroll design.Water Architecture in South Asia: A Study of Types Developments and Meanings by Julia A. B. Hegewald, Brill, Studies in Asian Art and Archaeology No. 24, Leiden, 2002, Letters from Sri Lanka – Greywater Recycling at Kuttam Pokuna (the Twin Pools) by Craig Mackintosh, Permaculture Research institute, August 12, 2009, retrieved 22 November 2021 Kuttam Pokuna (twin pond) by Visit Anuradhapura, retrieved 22 November 2021
Although the ponds look very much alike at first glance, there are marked differences. The punkalas of the larger pond are more ornate, for example, and so are the banisters of the stairs (see below). The sides of the large pond also have terraces on several levels, which are broad enough to walk or sit on and can be reached from the stairs.
The northern side of the small pond is adorned with a sculpture of a five-hooded cobra (Nāga) under an arch of . Another makara shape can still be recognised in the nearby stone spout.
The ponds themselves were used by the Abhayagiri vihāra monks to bathe. However, some sources speak of the baths being used by kings and queens. Summer in Ceylon by N. Maisondeau, Ceylon Observer, Colombo, 1909, retrieved 30 November 2021
After having been left unattended for centuries, part of the Kuttam Pokuna was restored by Robert Ievers (Government Agent of the North Central Province) during the period 1885 to 1892. Kuttam Pokuna (twin ponds) by Thilina Deepthi Karunachandra, 2018, retrieved 26 November 2021 The Buried Cities of Ceylon: A Guide to Anuradhapura and Pollonarua by Stephen Montagu Burrows (first edition), A.M. & J. Ferguson, 1885, retrieved 29 December 2021 Ceylon in 1893 by John Ferguson, John Haddon and A.M. & J. Ferguson, 1893, retrieved 22 December 2021 The ruined cities of Ceylon by Henry William Cave (1854-1913), S. Low, Marston and Company, London, 1897, retrieved 22 december 2021 Two happy years in Ceylon, Vol.I by Constance Frederica Gordon-Cumming, W. Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, 1892, retrieved 25 January 2022 Unfortunately, several of the large parapet stones of the northern pond were used to restore the lower eastern side of the southern pond. Because of this, not all stones could be placed in their original positions during the later full restoration (see below). Ceylon Year Book, 1956, Department of Census and Statistics, Colombo, Ceylon, retrieved 10 January 2022
Between 1950 and 1955 the ponds were fully restored, including the surrounding compound wall. Most of the original punkalas turned out to be missing. They had either been stolen or destroyed. These punkalas were replaced by faithful, concrete copies of the ones that were found on the site. The underground drain was left unrestored.
Senarath Paranavithana, Archaeological Commissioner of the Department of Archaeology of Sri Lanka from 1940 to 1956, was actively involved in the restoration of the ponds. During the restoration activities, a metal pot was found on the bottom of one of the ponds. In it were some small , like a frog, a tortoise, a crab, several fish, a metal conch and a dancing woman. Dr. Senarath Paranavithana by Andrew Scott, Virtual Library Sri Lanka, 8 January 2003, retrieved 24 November 2021 These artifacts are now in the Anuradhapura Museum.
Restorations
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