Eleven
kilometres to the east of Anuradhapura is Mihintale. Where, in 247 BC,
Mahinda, son of the Emperor Ashoka of India converted King Devanampiyatissa
to Buddhism. Together with a group of his followers, the now missionary
established himself in a hilltop hermitage to which he gave his name Mihintale
where the new religion soon spread in all directions.
On full moon day in June each year, a great poson festival is held here to commemorate the introduction of Buddhism to the island. Mihintale is a place of calmness and tranquillity, particularly suited to religious meditation. It is dominated by a gleaming white dagoba on the highest point of a cluster of hills, which is approached by a massive granite processional stairway.
There are 1,840 steps, they say, but wide
and shallow and protected by overhanging frangipani trees. It is not a
difficult ascent. The topmost dagoba, the Ambastala, contains relics of
Mahinda; it is ringed with delicate pillars and has a spectacular view
over the surrounding countryside. As befits the cradle of Singhalese Buddhism,
Mihintale is alive with holiness, its dagobas, monasteries, caves, rock
temples and pools forming an island of sanctity for all followers of one
of the world's great religions.