What is Mihintale?
Mihintale is located 16 kilometers east of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is believed to be the birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. In the 3rd century BC, the king of the time, Devanampiyatisa met the Buddist monk Mahinda, son of King Asoka on this sacred mountain. This event marked the origin point for Buddhism in Ceylon(now Sri Lanka). The name “Mihin-Thale” means “The Plateau of Mihindu” named after monk Mahinda.In contrast to the widespread belief in this event, some historians say that sending Mahinda to King Devanampiyatisa in Sri Lanka was a political move of King Asoka to save his firstborn son(Mahinda) from enemies. Whatever the storyline is, King Asoka played a major role in spreading Buddhism in India, and his son Mahinda did the same for Sri Lanka. Till today pilgrims come on the full moon of Posam Poya every year.
Mihintale is a series of four mountains each approximately 1000 feet high. They are; Mihinthalava, Ath Vehera mountain, Annaikutti Mountain, and rajagiri Lena mountain.
The Ascent
The first approach is the city of Anuradhapura, a UNESCO world heritage site. This place has great historical, architectural, spiritual, and economic significance.
From Anuradhapura, Mihintale is only 16 kilometers away in the east. One could choose to stay in the city and go for a one-day outing. Since it is a mountain it is the best place for people who love to hike. In all cultures and religions, the sacred space is always at a height that makes you climb a certain height, even if it is a few steps from temples or a mountain like Mihintale. This symbolizes the journey of evolution to the higher self.
The first approach itself is 1840 steps up to the Mihinthalava mountain. They are wide and easy to climb. The way up is accompanied by frangipane trees, which also provide shade.
The Structures on The Way
According to Fa-Hsien, a Chinese Mahayana Buddhist priest, back in the 5th century, Mihintale was home to 2000 Buddhist monks. To accommodate this number of monks, all the necessary facilities must have been at that time. On the way up to the mountain, there are ruins and monuments to explore.
The Hospital Complex
The first ruin one encounters is The Hospital, located at the foothill of the mountain. It is not a conventional hospital as the terminology is widely used. This complex is square with an open-to-sky space in the center. The identified spaces in the complex are hot water and a steam bath, a medicine store, and a quern which might have been used to grind medicines. There are 31 treatment rooms arranged around the central open space in a manner that all the rooms are opening towards the center. The ruin succeeds in giving the idea of the scale of the advanced facility they had back in the time.
Kantaka Chethiya
The stupa identified as Kantaka Chethiya was found as a mound of earth covered by debris. Later on in 1930, it was renovated. As per the inscription the name is identified as Kantaka Chethiya but it also goes by names like Kitibat Vehera, Giribandha Vehera, and Kiribadapavu Dagaba.
The stupa has various figures of Hindu gods, avatars, dwarfs, animals, floral motifs, and fresco paintings on it. This shows one of the early existence of the fresco style of painting and depiction of figures of gods. The four sides or directions have specific animals symbolizing Buddha’s teachings. Elephants in the east symbolise the tamed and disciplined mind. The lion on the north symbolizes strength and protection as used by the Shakyas clan(to which Buddha belonged). The horse on the west depicts energy and effort towards Dharma. The bull in the south depicts the fertility of the earth and earthly possessions.
There is another narrative that points towards the phases of Buddha’s life, where the bull is the birth of Buddha, the elephant for his notion, the lion for the attainment of enlightenment, and the horse for leaving the family and royal lineage.
The Refectory
The refectory is a term commonly used for dining areas in monasteries, schools, etc. As mentioned earlier, Mihintale was home to approximately 2000 monks, which required certain facilities. The refectory’s ruins convey clearly that they had a well-planned system of running water for washing utensils. It also had the facility of cisterns and drain covers, which shows the advancement of the settlement of the time. There are also references to servants working the refectory with data on their duties and allowances. So, they also created employment for the local people and it was a structured system that they were following.
Ambashtala Dagoba
Once climbed up, Ambasthala marks the exact spot where King Devanampiyatisa met the Monk Mahinda. This is the stupa believed to enshrine the relics of Mahinda. Another belief is that it enshrines Buddha’s hair relic. There is no certain information about who built it but it is believed to be built by King Mahadatika Mahanaga. There are stone pillars surrounding the Dagoba suggesting there might have been a house built around.
The Cave of Arhant Mahinda
Going ahead from Ambasthala Dagoba, there is a cave on the slope known to be the cave of Mahinda, where he must have stayed. The cave has one stone carved out as a seat for Mahinda to sit and meditate. The stone is sheltered by another stone leaning on it and it opens towards a great vista.
Maha Stupa
The Maha Seya /Stupa is the image of Mihintale. This stupa was halfway built and then the construction was stopped due to King Mahadathika Mahanaga’s doubts regarding the sloped terrain’s ability to take up such a large structure. It is believed that Buddha’s Urnaroma is enshrined here.
Aradhana Gala(The Rock of Invitation)
This is one of the highest peak points of the Mihintale Mountains. Aradhana Gaa faces Maha Stupa on the mountain. This place is believed to be the place from where Mahinda called out the King Devanampiyatisa. It is said that Mahinda came from India to Sri Lanka by air and landed in this very place.
Naga Pokuna
On the west of Ambasthala Dagoba, a flight of steps is descending, and Naga Pokuna is visible. Naga means “serpent” and pokuna means “pond.” The pond’s beauty is that it is not directly visible, it reveals itself as an element of surprise.
This pond was the main source of water for the community at that time. It was also the mother source for the other ponds such as Sinha Pokuna and Alms Hall. It is connected to the Sinha pokuna at one end and to the refectory at the other end through a channel along with stone spouts. Again this shows the strategic planning in terms of water usage and management.
The 68 Cave of Mihintale
A little further from Sinha Pokuna, there are 68 caves carved out by King Devnampiyatisa as directed by monk Mahinda. As per the Brahmi inscriptions carved in the cave, the purpose of these caves is academic, as it was used to teach the monks.
Apart from these structures, there are other ruins around Mihintale too to explore. The historical and spiritual significance of the place is high considering it accurately provides details of the ignition of Buddhism in the country of Sri Lanka. It is apt to mention the excellence in the planning of the monastery. The water management, accommodation, and medical facilities are adequately planned considering it was situated and functioning in the 3rd century BCE. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that with all the advanced planning, the monastery would have run smoothly allowing monks to dedicate their majority of the time to their spiritual practice.
References:
Mihintale (2024) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihintale (Accessed: 21 July 2024).
Amazinglanka (2024) Mihintale – the cradle of Buddhism, AmazingLanka.com. Available at: https://amazinglanka.com/wp/mihintale/ (Accessed: 21 July 2024).
Agarwal, S.S. (2024) Travel the world: The mihintale temple, RTF | Rethinking The Future. Available at: https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/travel-and-architecture/a12493-travel-the-world-the-mihintale-temple/ (Accessed: 21 July 2024).
