Kaludiya Pokuna Forest

Kaludiya Pokuna Archeological Forest Site (කළුදිය පොකුණ පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය), is a forest with archeological remains in Kandalama, in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka.[1]

Kaludiya Pokuna Forest and Archeological Site
View from Kandalama Hotel Side
LocationCentral Province, Sri Lanka
Nearest cityDambulla
Coordinates7°52′02″N 80°44′01″E
Governing bodyDepartment of Archeology

Etymology
Black pond at Kaludiya pokuna

The place got its name from a pond that had dark water at ancient times.

Archeological remains
Pagoda at Kaludiya pokuna
Slab inscription detail at Kaludiya Pokuna
Medieval sinhala at Kaludiya Pokuna Slab inscription
Pagoda at Kaludiya Pokuna

The site was initially settled in the 2nd century BC. The remains in the site include inscriptions, residences and a monastery.

Species diversity

Kaludiya Pokuna is also rich with numerous biodiversity, both flora and fauna. The forest is home for many endemic and non-endemic species of flora and fauna, that prevail much more secure than other forests in Sri Lanka.

Site is surrounded by farmland and human settlements from the north, east, and west but is undisturbed by humans and the primates are not provisioned. There is no evidence to indicate that hunting, timber extraction, or woodcutting have occurred at the site.

Forest is composed of many endemic and highly valuable trees and shrubs. The majority of flora are in the family Euphorbiaceae. Plants like Hydnocarpus venenata, Mischodon zeylanicus, Lepisanthes senegalensis, Grewia rothii, Ficus microcarpa, Mussaenda frondosa, Drypetes sepiaria, Mallotus eriocarpus, Manilkara hexandra, Dimocarpus longan, and Tetrameles nudiflora are abundant. Plants of family Ebenaceae, such as Diospyros ebenum, Diospyros malabarica, Diospyros oocarpa, and Diospyros ovalifolia, which has large timber value, are enormous without any human conflict.

Kaludiya Pokuna is rich with its populations of primate species mainly, where many researches on primates based on this site, especially on tufted gray langur and purple-faced langur. Besides them, forest is also home for the other primates in Sri Lanka, such as toque macaque and red slender loris and other herbivorous mammals, such as Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), spotted deer (Axis axis), sambar (Rusa unicolor), and wild boar (Sus scrofa). The area is also home to a full complement of potential predators such as black eagles (Ictinaetus malaiensis), crested serpent eagles (Spilornis cheela), brahminy kites (Haliastur indus), white-bellied sea eagles (Haliaeetus leucogaster), leopards (Panthera pardus), fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) and Indian rock pythons (Python molurus).

Endemic snakes such as Sri Lanka flying snake, Boiga barnesii, Dendrelaphis bifrenalis, Dendrelaphis oliveri, Oligodon sublineatus are frequently seen. Venomous snakes like Indian cobra, Russell's viper and Hypnale hypnale. Numerous types of skinks and lizards are also found.

Crimson rose at Kaludiya pokuna
Dendrelaphis tristis at Kaludiya pokuna
Halcyon smyrnensis at Kaludiya pokuna

The avian diversity is much more high than all other faunal categories at Kaludiya Pokuna. It is about 120 species of birds paradise. Most common birds are Indian cormorant, Oriental darter, Indian pond heron, cattle egret, black-headed ibis and common peafowl.

Endemic birds like Sri Lanka spurfowl, Sri Lanka junglefowl, Sri Lanka grey hornbill, brown-capped babbler, Sri Lanka green pigeon, crimson-fronted barbet, greater flameback, greater racket-tailed drongo, black-capped bulbul can be seen without disturbances. It means out of 33 endemic species, 80% of endemic birds are found in Kaludiya Pokuna.

Both types of monitor lizards - Bengal monitor and water monitor, can be seen in Kaludiya Pokuna.

Butterflies and moths are also frequent in Kaludiya Pokuna. Species like crimson rose, common Mormon, Ceylon rose, common rose, common cerulean, common Indian crow, Lemon emigrant are common.

Kaludiya pokuna forest cover
Kaludoya pokuna mountainous rock of Kandalama lake side
Path for kaludiya pokuna forest site
Kaludiya pokuna board at Green Paradise Hotel premises, showing the path

The following list provide the fauna of Kaludiya Pokuna Archeological Forest Reserve.

Birds

Aquatic birds around lakes in Kaludiya Pokuna

Forest birds in Kaludiya Pokuna Forest

Reptiles

Mammals

References
  1. Vandercone, Rajnish P.; Dinadh, Chameera; Wijethunga, Gayan; Ranawana, Kitsiri; Rasmussen, David T. (2012). "Dietary Diversity and Food Selection in Hanuman Langurs (Semnopithecus entellus) and Purple-Faced Langurs (Trachypithecus vetulus) in the Kaludiyapokuna Forest Reserve in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka". International Journal of Primatology. 33 (6): 1382–1405. doi:10.1007/s10764-012-9629-9.
  • Kaludiya Pokuna at the website of the Department of Archaeology of the Sri Lanka government
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