The best Guardstone is found at the Ratnaprasada Chapter House of the Abhayagiriya Monastery Complex.

Guardstone was originally started as a stone to stop the fall of the balustrade. The earliest Guardstones did not have any decorations, the second stage was with a groove on the upper center, the third stage flower pot was used to denote prosperity and the 4^th stage, the animal cobra form was used as the guard.

At the final stage the Naga or Cobra was given a human form but still retained the hood of the cobra above the human figure with 3, 5, 7, or 9 hoods given to the cobra.