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Mihintale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. It is believed by Sri Lankans to be the site of a meeting between the Buddhist monk Mahinda and King Devanampiyatissa which inaugurated the presence of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It is now a pilgrimage site, and the site of several religious monuments and abandoned structures.
Approximately 12.5 km (7.8 mi) east of Anuradhapura, close to the Anuradhapura - Trincomalee Road is situated the "Missaka Pabbata" which is 1,000 feet (300 m) in height and is one of the peaks of a mountainous range.
According to Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa, Thera Mahinda came to Sri Lanka from India on the full moon day of the month of Poson (June) and met King Devanampiyatissa and preached the Buddhist doctrine. The traditional spot where this meeting took place is revered by the Buddhists of Sri Lanka. Therefore, in the month of Poson, Buddhists make their pilgrimage to Anuradhapura and Mihintale.
Mahinda was the son of Emperor Ashoka of India. King Ashoka embraced Buddhism after he was inspired by a monk named “Nigrodha.” The King was in great misery after witnessing the devastation caused by expansionist wars. Meeting this peaceful young monk was a turning point in his life, thereafter, he renounced war. He was determined to spread the message of peace. As a result, both his son and daughter were ordained as Buddhist monastics and became enlightened Arahats. In his quest to spread the message of peace instead of war, Ashoka sent his son Mahinda, to the island of Lanka, which was also known as “Sinhalé”. This island was ruled by his friend King Devanampiyatissa. Thus, “Mahinda” was the Indian name, which in Sinhalé, became “Mihindu.”
In Sinhala Mihin-Thalé literally means the “plateau of Mihindu”. This plateau is on top of a hill from where Arahat Mihindu was supposed to have called King Devanampiyatissa, by the King's name to stop him from shooting a deer. Hence, “Mihin Thalé” is a specifically Sinhala term.
From ancient times, large steps were constructed to climb Mihintale. It is stated that King Devanampiyatissa constructed a vihara and 68 caves for the bhikkhus to reside in. At Mihintale there gradually grew a number of Buddhist monasteries or viharas with all the dependent buildings characteristic of the monasteries of that period.
The Mihintale Inscriptions are a collection of inscriptions found in Mihinthale, Sri Lanka, that date back to the third century BCE to the 10th century CE. During this time, the kingdom of Anuradhapura was flourishing. After the 10th century, no inscriptions have been found in Mihinthale, possibly due to the migration of the kingdom from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa.
A total of 106 Brahmi inscriptions have been found in the Mihinthale area, ranging from the 3rd century BCE to the first century CE. These inscriptions can be found in caves such as the Mihintala Kanda Rajagiri Cave Kanda, Mihintala Anaikutty Kanda, and Atvehera Kanda.
The majority of these inscriptions are written in Brahmi characters, with the Mihintale tablet, written in the 10th century CE, being the longest and best-preserved of all the inscriptions. In addition to these, inscriptions have also been found at Kantaka Chetiya, Sela Chetiya, Atvehera Kanda, and inscriptions on copper plates were uncovered during the excavation of Idikatu Seya Dagoba. [1]
At the foot of the mountain are the ruins of a hospital, medical bath (or stone canoe in which patients were immersed in medicinal oil) a stone inscription and urns belonging to the ancient period have been unearthed. Between the hospital and the steps leading to the rock are the ruins of a large monastery. On the floors of the square building which is 125 feet (38 m) on one side, are beautiful carvings and also are stone balustrades and guard stones. As this side is precipitous, the steps are on the eastern side of the slope, spacious and in 4 sections. The stairway has 1840 steps made of granite, leading to the summit. At the end of the first set of steps on the right side of the plain, is a small mountain peak. On this is situated the most famous Kantaka Cetiya.
Heinz E Müller-Dietz (Historia Hospitalium 1975) describes the hospital as being perhaps the oldest in the world.
Kantaka Cetiya is a circular stupa having a base circumference of about 425 feet. It has three stepped rims. It has four frontispieces in the four cardinal directions. The frontispiece is called Vaahalkada. All the Vaahalkadas are decorated with sculptures of dwarfs, animals, humans, divine figures and floral motifs. One of the most important of the sculptures on the Kantaka Cethiya Vaahalkada is the elephant-headed God with two arms. The Saivites call it Ganapati or Ganeesaa.
The four vahaalkadas facing the four cardinal points have different animals on the top of the square pillars - the elephant on the east, the lion on the north, the horse on the west and the bull on the south.
Most Indian and Sri Lankan archaeologists believe that there is a symbolic relationship between these animals and the four cardinal directions. But, they differ in associating a particular animal with a particular direction.
However, in a moonstone of Sri Lanka and the Lion Capital of Saranath, we find these four animals sculptured in the moving position. At the same time, in the coins collected in the Northern mainland of Sri Lanka, the Jaffna peninsula and Akurugoda of Rununa, we find the following symbols marked on them: 1. the Lion on one side, and a group of four dots placed in the form of a square at the centre of a circle on the other side; 2. the Horse on one side and a group of four dots placed in the form of a square at the centre of a circle on the other side; 3. the Bull on one side and a group of four dots placed in the form of a square at the centre of a circle on the other side.
Also in Northern and southern Sri Lanka, coins having a bull on one side and an elephant on the other side have been discovered. In India coins with a bull on one side and a lion on the other side have been discovered.
Therefore, the animals lion, horse and bull are associated with the very same group of four things. Therefore, the animals lion, horse and bull must symbolize a human who is associated with a group of four things.
Thus, one could come to the conclusion that the four animals lion, horse, elephant and bull symbolize Lord Buddha who is associated with the Four Noble Truths. Further study on coins, sculptures etc. will confirm this conclusion.
The Sinhalese archaeologists and historians say that King Suratissa has built this Stupa. The Pesavalalu and the frontispiece have been preserved to a great extent. There are ruins of the stupa which are 40 ft (12 m) in height. The monks would have resided in the caves close to the stupa. As this stupa was renovated by King Lajjitissa. There is no doubt that this belongs to the 1st century B.C.
The Courtyard is situated at the end of the third flight of steps. To the left of the courtyard is the refectory. The quadrangle is 62 feet (19 m) in length and 25 ft (7.6 m) in breadth and is surrounded by the storeroom. Since a part of a pipeline has been discovered here, it can be concluded that a systematic and well-planned pipe-borne scheme was provided. Two stone troughs can be seen here, which would have been used to store food close to the refectory.
On either side of the entrance to a building, are 2 inscriptions engraved on 2 large slabs of granite known as the Mihintale stone inscriptions. The rules and regulations pertaining to the administrative purposes of the monastery are engraved on these 2 stone slabs. This inscription installed by King Mihindu (956 - 976 AD) contains records of payments made to the service staff. In the vicinity of another plain is the meeting hall of the monks. Here the monks met, to discuss the Dhamma and the Vinaya. This is an open building which is 62 feet (19 m) square and was constructed on 48 stone pillars. In the middle of the hall is a platform with 4 entrances.
To the East of the refectory is a stupa, 88 feet (27 m) in circumference. It has not been identified so far.
Is situated on the plain close to the peak of the mountain, and is said to have been built by King Makalantissa. The ruins show that there has been a house built encircling the stupa. The Dagoba itself is said to enshrine the relics of the great Apostle Mahinda. It is here that King Devanampiyatissa first met Arahant Mahinda. The traditional spot where this meeting took place is marked by the Ambasthala Dagoba.
When proceeding from Ambastala dagoba along the narrow road, on the slope is the cave known as Mihindu Guhawa or the cave of Arahant Mahinda, where he resided. Out of the caves, the most famous and incidentally the most sacred to Buddhists is this cave with its flattened slab on which Thera Mahinda was accustomed to rest.
This large stupa known as the Maha Seya is on the summit of the Mihintale hill, built by King Mahadathika Mahanaga (7-19 AD) the base of which is 136 ft (41 m) in diameter. The stupa which was in a dilapidated condition was completely restored.
Which faces Maha Seya is on a summit of a hill. Even during very windy weather pilgrims do not fail to visit this rock, which has iron railings to help them to climb. In ancient books such as the Mahavamsa it is written that Mahinda came to Sri Lanka by travelling through the air. He came down and landed on the top of the Aradhana Gala where he met King Devanampiyatissa for the first time.
Is one of the famous ponds at Mihintale. The word "Kalu" means black. The word "diya" means water, and the word "pokuna" means pond. The name is derived from the fact that the water in the pond appears to be black in colour. It is believed that on new moon day Kalu Buddha Rakkhita Thera sat under the Thimbiriya tree, close to the Kaludiya Pokuna, and preached a sermon based on the Kalakarama Sutta.
Naga Pokuna means "Serpent Pond." Its name is derived from the figures of snakes with their hoods spread out in the background; it is one of the most famous ponds at the site. Passing Ambasthalaya on the western side is a flight of steps. When descending the steps the Naga Pokuna is visible.
Mahavansa mentions a pond named Nagacatuska connected with the information regarding the arrival of Thera Mahinda in Sri Lanka. Also the chronicle records much later that king Aggabodhi I (575-608 AD) built a pond named Nagasondi. From this information, it may be assumed that the natural pond, known as Nagacatusca, was converted to a man made pond by King Aggabodhi. Filled by rainwater, this pond supplies water to the Lion Pond, Alms Hall and for the daily needs of the Mihintala monks. [2]
Singha Pokuna means "Lion Pond," the name was derived from the image of the rampant lion. Water was collected here for the use of bikkhus (monks). Water is supplied from the Naga Pokuna through a tunnel. [3]
To the side of the Ambasthala Dagoba is a flight of rock-carved steps leading to a large white Buddha statue. [4]
Mahinda was an Indian Buddhist monk depicted in Buddhist sources as bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka. He was the first-born son and Prince of the third Mauryan Emperor Ashoka The Great from his wife and Empress Devi and the elder brother of Princess Sanghamitra.
The Jetavanarama stupa or Jetavanaramaya is a stupa, or Buddhist reliquary monument, located in the ruins of Jetavana monastery in the UNESCO world heritage city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. At 122 metres, it was the world's tallest stupa, and the third tallest structure in the world when it was built by King Mahasena of Anuradhapura (273–301). He initiated the construction of the stupa following the destruction of the Mahaviharaya of Anuradhapura. His son Kithsirimevan completed the construction of the stupa, and it was renovated by Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa. A part of a sash or belt tied by the Buddha is believed to be the relic that is enshrined here.
Tissa, later Devanampiya Tissa, meaning, was one of the earliest kings of Sri Lanka based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura. According to the traditional chronology, he ruled from 307 BC to 267 BC, but the modified chronology adopted by modern scholars such as Wilhelm Geiger assigns his reign to 247 BC to 207 BC. His reign was notable for the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka under the aegis of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka the Great. The primary source for his reign is the Mahavamsa, which in turn is based on the more ancient Dipavamsa.
Thuparamaya is the earliest documented Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. Its building dates to the arrival of Mahinda Thera (Mahindagamanaya) and the introduction of Buddhism to the island.
Abhayagiri Vihāra was a major monastery site of Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism that was situated in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is one of the most extensive ruins in the world and one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage cities in the nation. Historically it was a great monastic center as well as a royal capital, with magnificent monasteries rising to many stories, roofed with gilt bronze or tiles of burnt clay glazed in brilliant colours. To the north of the city, encircled by great walls and containing elaborate bathing ponds, carved balustrades and moonstones, stood "Abhayagiri", one of seventeen such religious units in Anuradhapura and the largest of its five major viharas. One of the focal points of the complex is an ancient stupa, the Abhayagiri Dagaba. Surrounding the humped dagaba, Abhayagiri Vihara was a seat of the Northern Monastery, or Uttara Vihara and the original custodian of the Tooth relic in the island.
The Sela Cetiya, also known as the Ambastala Dagaba, is a significant stupa located at the Mihintale Royal Rock Temple in Sri Lanka. It is one of five stupas within the temple premises and is considered one of the 16 main places of worship, or Solosmasthana.
Atamasthana or Eight sacred places are a series of locations in Sri Lanka where the Buddha had visited during his three visits to the country. The sacred places are known as Jaya Sri Maha Bodhiya, Ruwanwelisaya, Thuparamaya, Lovamahapaya, Abhayagiri Dagaba, Jetavanarama, Mirisaveti Stupa and Lankarama. They are situated in Anuradhapura, the capital of the ancient Anuradhapura Kingdom.
The Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara is an ancient Buddhist temple in Tissamaharama, Southern Province of Sri Lanka. It was one of the four major Buddhist monasteries established in Sri Lanka, after the arrival of Arhant Mahinda Thera to the country. The site of the Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara was consecrated by Buddha himself, who spent some time in meditation there with 500 arhats, during his third visit to the island. Tissamaharama monastery had been recognized as a pre-eminent Buddhist educational center of the southern Sri Lanka from the 3rd century B.C. to the 11th century A.D. The Tissamaharama Dagoba which is situated in the premises of the monastery is one of the largest stupas in Sri Lanka. The present chief incumbent of Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara is Ven. Devalegama Dhammasena Nayaka Thera.
The ancient Sri Lankan people, which consisted of Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamils excelled in the construction of tanks (Wevas) or reservoirs, dagobas, Hindu temples and palaces in Sri Lanka, as evident from the ruins which displays a rich variety of architectural forms.
The architecture of ancient Sri Lanka displays a rich diversity, varying in form and architectural style from the Anuradhapura Kingdom through the Kingdom of Kandy (1469–1815). Sinhalese architecture also displays many ancient North Indian influences. Buddhism had a significant influence on Sri Lankan architecture after it was introduced to the island in the 3rd century BC, and ancient Sri Lankan architecture was mainly religious, with more than 25 styles of Buddhist monasteries. Significant buildings include the stupas of Jetavanaramaya and Ruwanvelisaya in the Anuradhapura kingdom and further in the Polonnaruwa Kingdom. The palace of Sigiriya is considered a masterpiece of ancient architecture and ingenuity, and the fortress in Yapahuwa and the Temple of the tooth in Kandy are also notable for their architectural qualities. Ancient Sri Lankan architecture is also significant to sustainability, notably Sigiriya which was designed as an environmentally friendly structure.
Stupas, also called dagebas and cetiyas, are considered an outstanding type of architectural creation of ancient Sri Lanka. Under the influence of Buddhism, there were several changes in the field of architecture in Sri Lanka. The stupa commands a prominent place among these changes. The Stupa is also known by synonymous names such as Chaithya, Dagaba, Thupa, Seya and Vehera. Stupas designed and constructed in Sri Lanka are the largest brick structures known to the pre-modern world.
Dimbulagala Raja Maha Vihara is situated 16 kilometres south east of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. The Dimbulagala range houses a number of caves cut into the rock with Brahmi inscriptions over their drip ledges. This forest hermitage of medieval times and holy abode since time immemorial, home to some of the most valued fragments of early frescoes was called the Gunners Quoin by the British. This Buddhist monastery which was abandoned after the times of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa was restored to the present status in the 1950s due to the efforts of Kithalagama Sri Seelalankara Thera, who was the chief incumbent of the Vihara until his death in 1995.
Yapahuwa was one of the ephemeral capitals of medieval Sri Lanka. The citadel of Yapahuwa lying midway between Kurunagala and Anuradhapura was built around a huge granite rock rising abruptly almost a hundred meters above the surrounding lowlands.
The architecture of Sri Lanka displays a rich variety of architectural forms and styles. Shaivism has had a significant influence on early Sri Lankan architecture, during the reign of King Ravana, then Buddhism has also had a significant influence on Sri Lankan architecture, since it was introduced to the island in the 3rd century BCE.
Anuradhapura Kingdom, named for its capital city, was the first established kingdom in ancient Sri Lanka related to the Sinhalese people. According to the Mahāvaṃsa, it was founded by King Pandukabhaya in 437 BC, whose authority extended throughout the country.
Rajagala, commonly Rassaagala or Rajagalathenna, is a rugged and heavily forested mountain situated 1,038 feet (316 m) above sea level, in a sparsely populated part of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka which has an important archaeological value. The Rajagala archaeological site is only second to the Mihintale monastery in Anuradhapura and it spreads over 1,600 acres. It consists more than 600 prehistoric ruins, monuments and artifacts, and nearly 100 of them are ancient stupas.
Ridi Viharaya or Silver Temple is a 2nd-century BCE Theravada Buddhist temple in the village of Ridigama, Sri Lanka. Built during the reign of Dutthagamani of Anuradhapura, the temple is considered as the place where the silver ore, which provided silver to complete Ruwanwelisaya; one of the largest stupa in Sri Lanka, was discovered. According to the chronicles Mahavamsa and Thupavamsa, the Ridi Viharaya complex was built in gratitude for helping him cherish his dream of completing Ruwanwelisaya.
Sri Lankan Forest Monks' Tradition claims a long history. As the oldest Theravada Buddhist country in the world, several forest traditions and lineages have existed, disappeared and re-emerged circularly in Sri Lanka. The current forest traditions and lineages in Sri Lanka have been influenced by the Burmese and Thai traditions which descend from the ancient Indian and Sri Lankan traditions.
Poson, also known as Poson Poya, is an annual festival held by Sri Lankan Buddhists celebrating the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC. The festival is the most important Poya holiday of the year and the second most important Buddhist holiday of the year, being surpassed in importance by Vesak. Poson is celebrated throughout the island, with the most important ceremonies of the festival being held in Anuradhapura and Mihintale. The festival is held in early June, coinciding with the June full moon.
Sandahiru Seya is a second largest hemispherical stupa in Sri Lanka located in Anuradhapura.
8°21′02.14″N80°31′01.00″E / 8.3505944°N 80.5169444°E
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