Image title: Kumara Pokuna (history)

English text:

This royal bath now known as the Kumara Pokuna, must be the pond named Sila Pokkharani referred to in the Mahavamsa as built by King Parakramabahu the Great (1153-1186A.D ) This area lying outside the citadel may have belonged to King Parakramabahu's royal park named Nandana Uyana. The pond elegantly built with a cruciformed ground plan is designed in such manner as to get water from the adjacent watercourse and is also provided with outlets to drain off the used water. The pavilion near the pond must have served as a changing room.

Sinhalese text (not proofread):

කුමාර පොකුණ නමින් හැඳින්වෙන මෙම පොකුණ මහා පරාක්‍රමබාහු රජු (ක්‍රි.ව. 1153 - 1186) විසින් ඉදිකළ බවට මහා වංශයේ සඳහන් වන 'ශිලා පොක්ඛරණි' නම් වූ තෙ විය හැකිය. ඇතුල් නගරයට පිටතින් ඊට යාබදව පිහිටි මෙම පෙදෙස එකල නන්දන ලදහනය නම් වූ උයනට අයත් වන්නට ඇත. ඉතා අලංකාර ලෙස වතුරී මුඛ සැලැස්මට ගොඩනගා ඇති මෙම ශෛලමය පොකුණ, අසල පිහිටි ඇල මාර්ගයෙන් ජලය ලබා ගැනීමටත් අපවිත්‍ර ජලය පිට කිරීමටත් හැකිවන ආකාරයට සකස් කරනු ලැබ ඇත. මේ අසලම ඇති අනෙක් ගොඩනැගිල්ල ජලස්නානය සඳහා සළු පිටි මාරු කිරීමට පැවති මණ්ඩපයක් බව පැහැදිලිය.

Transcription (not proofread):

kumāra pokuṇa namin hændinvena mema pokuṇa mahā parākramabāhu raju (kri.va. 1153 - 1186) visin idikaḷa bavaṭa mahā vaṅśayē sandahan vana 'śilā pokkharaṇi' nam vū te viya hækiya. ætul nagarayaṭa piṭatin īṭa yābadava pihiṭi mema pedesa ekala nandana ladahanaya nam vū uyanaṭa ayat vannaṭa æta. itā alaṅkāra lesa vaturī mukha sælæsmaṭa goḍanagā æti mema śa‍ĩlamaya pokuṇa, asala pihiṭi æla mārgayen jalaya labā gænīmaṭat apavitra jalaya piṭa kirīmaṭat hækivana ākārayaṭa sakas karanu læba æta. mē asalama æti anek goḍanægilla jalasnānaya sandahā saḷu piṭi māru kirīmaṭa pævati maṇḍapayak bava pæhædiliya.

Transcription (not proofread):

kumara pokuna namin handinvena mema pokuna maha parakramabahu raju (kri.va. 1153 - 1186) visin idikala bavata maha vanshaye sandahan vana 'shila pokkharani' nam vu te viya hakiya. atul nagarayata pitatin ita yabadava pihiti mema pedesa ekala nandana ladahanaya nam vu uyanata ayat vannata ata. ita alankara lesa vaturi mukha salasmata godanaga ati mema sha‍ĩlamaya pokuna, asala pihiti ala margayen jalaya laba ganimatat apavitra jalaya pita kirimatat hakivana akarayata sakas karanu laba ata. me asalama ati anek godanagilla jalasnanaya sandaha salu piti maru kirimata pavati mandapayak bava pahadiliya.

Translation of Sinhalese text (automated translation):

This pond, known as Kumara Pond, may be the one named 'Shila Pokkharani', which is mentioned in the Maha Vamsa as having been built by King Maha Parakramabahu (1153-1186 AD). This area, located outside the inner city and next to it, may have belonged to the garden called Nandanadahana at that time. Beautifully built in a watery mouth plan, this stone pond has been designed to draw water from the nearby canal and discharge the polluted water. It is clear that the other building next to this was a pavilion for changing cloths for bathing.

Tamil text (not proofread):

குமார குளம் என்பது மகாபராக்கிரமபாகுவால் கட்டப்பட்டதாக மகாவம்சத்தில் கூறப்படும். "சிலா பொக்கறணி" என்னும் குளமாக இருக்கக் கூடும். உள்நகருக்கு வெளிப்புறத்தில் உள்ள இப்பிரதேசம். மகாபராக்கிரமபாகுவின் "நந்தன பூங்கா" என்னும் அரசபூங்காவுக்குச் சொந்தமாக இருக்கலாம். சிலுவை வடிவத்தில் கவும் அழகாக அமைக்கப்பட்ட இக்கற்குளத்துக்கு அருகிலுள்ள கால்வாயூடாக ரைப்பெறவும் கழிவு நீரை வெளியேற்றவும் கூடிய விதத்திலும் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.இதனருகில் உள்ள கட்டிடம், குளிக்கும்பொழுது உடைமாற்றுவதற்காக இருந்த கட்டிடம் என்பது தெளிவு.

Transcription (not proofread):

kumāra kuḷam eṉpatu makāparākkiramapākuvāl kaṭṭappaṭṭatāka makāvamcattil kūṟappaṭum. "cilā pokkaṟaṇi" eṉṉum kuḷamāka irukkak kūṭum. uḷnakarukku veḷippuṟattil uḷḷa ippiratēcam. makāparākkiramapākuviṉ "nantaṉa pūṅkā" eṉṉum aracapūṅkāvukkuc contamāka irukkalām. ciluvai vaṭivattil kavum aḻakāka amaikkappaṭṭa ikkaṟkuḷattukku arukiluḷḷa kālvāyūṭāka raippeṟavum kaḻivu nīrai veḷiyēṟṟavum kūṭiya vitattilum amaikkappaṭṭuḷḷatu.itaṉarukil uḷḷa kaṭṭiṭam, kuḷikkumpoḻutu uṭaimāṟṟuvataṟkāka irunta kaṭṭiṭam eṉpatu teḷivu.

Transcription (not proofread):

kumara kulam enpathu magaparakkiramapaguval kattappattathaga magavamsathil kurappadum. "sila pokkarani" ennum kulamaga irukkag kudum. ulnagarukku velippurathil ulla ippirathesam. magaparakkiramapaguvin "nanthana punga" ennum arasapungavukkus sonthamaga irukkalam. siluvai vadivathil kavum azhagaka amaikkappatta ikkarkulathukku arugilulla kalvayudaga raipperavum kazhivu nirai veliyerravum kudiya vithathilum amaikkappattullathu.ithanarugil ulla kattidam, kulikkumbozhuthu udaimarruvatharkaga iruntha kattidam enpathu thelivu.

Translation of Tamil text (automated translation):

Kumara Kulam is said to have been built by Mahaparakramabaku in the Mahavamsa. It could be a pond called "Sila Pokkarani". This area is outside the inner city. Probably belonged to the royal park called "Nandana Park" of Mahaparakramapagu. It is very beautiful in the shape of a cross, and a canal near this pond is also arranged in such a way that it can collect and discharge the waste water.

Gallery information:

These photographs were taken at the Polonnaruwa archaeological site which preserve some of the monuments and religious structures of the ancient kingdom of Polonnaruwa (also Pulathisipura or Vijayarajapura) of Sri Lanka dating to the 10th century CE. Some of the important kings who reigned in this kingdom are King Vijayabahu I and his grandson, king Prakramabahu the Great. The city and it's architecture were influenced by various religious such as Hinduism in its early history, Shaivism and later Buddhism.