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A cluster of Limestone pools is found in Rajawaka Forest Reserve |
Hunugal Pokuna or Limestone Pond is referred to a cluster of small pools located within the Rajawaka Forest Reserve near Thanjantenna village in Balangoda in Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka.
The Rajawaka Forest
Extending in an area of about 5536.69 hectares, Rajawaka forest reserve is a lowland secondary forest and one of the major catchments for Samanalawewa Reservoir. Significant calcite and dolomite deposits are found within the forest area, as the region is undertaken by Precambrian marble rock, which is one of the most common sources of calcite and dolomite in the country. As a result, many limestone formations can be found within the forest area, stretching for about a kilometer in length.
The Pools
A small stream that flows through the forest, feed the limestone pools. There are over thirty ponds in the location. The semi-circular shaped pools exist in the form of Helmalu or like a ladder of pools. Large pools range in size from 50-30 sq. ft., while smaller ones measure 5–10 sq. ft., with depths varying from 1–2 ft. to as much as 12 ft. The bottoms and sidewalls of the pools are made of limestone, giving them the appearance of being lined with concrete. Small grooves known as Hirilamba have naturally formed on sidewalls along the flow direction of the water and they are believed to have been shaped over hundreds of thousands of years. Although the water in the pools has a crystal-clear appearance, it is not drinkable due to the high limestone content, which gives it a hard quality. The waters of the stream finally joins the nearby Walawe Ganga River.
Bathing is not suitable in this place. Also it is not suitable to walk on sidewalls of the pools as they cannot bear heavy weights. In recent times, the pools have started to face damage due to visitors swimming in and walking on the edges of them.
