Kaludiya Pokuna- The archaeological forest of a bygone era

In the midst of the deep jungles of Kandalama in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka, lies Kaludiya Pokuna (black-water hole) archaeological site, one of Sri Lanka’s most evocative yet least-visited places of historic importance.

- By INDRAJITH SENADHIRA

Whilst the place has got its name due to the location of a natural pond in the vicinity which consists of dark colored water, it is a forest monastery dating back to the 2nd to 6th centuries AD which had been known as the Dakkina Giri Vihara at the time of the Anuradhapura era. Like with other forest monasteries of the period, it had been meant for the ascetic monks who sought isolation from bustling urban centers which facilitates meditating in the rock caves, along meditation paths and performing rituals.