This large fenced tank just off Kantipath is said to have been built by King Pratap Malla in 1667 to console his queen over the death of their son (who was trampled by an elephant). The pool (pokhari means pool or small lake) was apparently used during the Malla era for trials by ordeal and later became a favourite suicide spot.
During the 2015 earthquake, the area around the tank became a refuge for people sleeping outside because of fears of further building collapses. The tank and its earthquake-damaged central Shiva Temple is unlocked only one day each year, on the fifth day of the Tihar festival.