Page 289 - Proceedings book

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1. For water consumption

Most ponds in Sri Lanka are designed for water consumption. It seems that drinking
water and bathing took a major place in this. Separate ponds may have been built for

bathing and drinking. According to the Mahavamsa, it appears that both the needs of
bathing and drinking water from the pond related to the news of Vijaya story were

fulfilled. It is possible to think that the small pond from the Twin Pond was used for

drinking and the second pond for bathing.

2. For retaining unnecessary water

In order to remove the obstacles caused by the accumulation of water in the
monastery grounds during the rains, the water has been systematically directed to the

ponds through tunnels or surface water drains. Such examples abound in the temple

complex of Abhayagiriya. The land of Dagoba is the most suitable example for this

The water that falls on the large dagaba flows from it and collects in the Salapathala

maluwa, and they are gradually collected in the Welimaluwa by the small water fall at
the outer ends of the Salapathala maluwa. The water that flows through Welimaluwa

collects in a crater made of stone near the boundary wall and then exits from the wall

Stone wall
Welimaluwa
Salapathala Maluwa

Water spout
Underground tunnel

Pond

Figure 5; Abhayagiriya water management

through a stone tunnel made through the ground and collects in a pond (fig.7). 4 such
large ponds have been established on four sides of Abhayagiri Dagoba. These four

ponds were made to divert the pool of water collected in an area of 14 acres with
Welimaluwa, Salapathala Maluwa and Dagaba, which is limited by the outer wall.

3. For beauty

The ponds in Ranmasu Uyana, the brick ponds south-west of Dagoba in Jetavana, the
Kumara Pond in Polonnaruwa, the Lotus Pond etc. were made for beauty. However, it

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