Eth Pokuna

Anuradhapura


Surrounded by forest, this huge body of water is thought to have acted as an ancient water storage tank for the Abhayagiri monastery rather than as a pool for pachyderms. Such is the scale of the tank – 159m long, 53m wide and 10m deep – that six Olympic-sized swimming pools could comfortably fit inside it.

Underground channels from the Periyamkulama Tank keep the pond topped up, and are still in working order – during very heavy rains water pours into the pond from inlets.


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