Naga Pokuna

Naga Pokuna’s name, ‘Cobra Pond,’ comes directly from what’s carved into the rock face at its rear: a serpent with multiple hoods, some accounts say five, others seven, whose tail is said, in local tradition, to reach all the way down to the pool’s floor.

From Natural Pool to Engineered Water Source

Naga Pokuna’s origins trace back to what was likely a simple natural pond, catching rainwater running off the exposed rock surface of the hill crowned by the Mahaseya and older Mihindu Seya stupas above. As Mihintale‘s monastic community grew following Mahinda’s founding visit, that modest natural pool proved insufficient for the water demands of an increasingly large population of resident monks. In response, the pond was deliberately embanked and deepened, transforming it into a genuine reservoir capable of storing enough water to be distributed via an elaborate system of stone pipes down to the monastery’s refectory and Sinha Pokuna further below.

The site carries genuine historical documentation too: it’s referenced in the 16th chapter of the Mahavamsa, which records that Mahinda himself, while returning from a visit to Anuradhapura back to Mihintale, bathed at a tank called Nagacutakka, generally identified with this same location, giving Naga Pokuna a direct textual link back to the monk at the very centre of Mihintale’s founding story.

The Cobra Carving

The pond’s defining feature is the multi-headed cobra carved in low relief on the rock face at its rear, sources vary on the exact number of heads, some describing five, others seven, but all agree on the carving’s striking, serpentine presence looming over the water. In Buddhist and broader South Asian tradition, the naga serpent is closely associated with the guardianship of treasure, the protection of water sources, and the bringing of rain, making the carving’s placement here, watching over the monastery’s crucial water supply, a deliberate and meaningful symbolic choice rather than purely decorative artistry.

Visiting Tips

• Reach Naga Pokuna via the path branching left partway down from the Ambasthala Dagoba, looping around the base of the Mahaseya hill.
• Take time to examine the cobra carving closely, a genuinely well-preserved piece of ancient relief work.
• Continue the loop trail back down to the second landing, or branch off toward Et Vihara for a longer circuit.
• Watch for monkeys in this area, common throughout Mihintale’s quieter, more forested sections.

Where It Sits on the Map

Frequently Asked Questions

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