.JPG)
Mihinthale is the medina of Sinhalese
Buddhist’s ; this sacred hill rising eight miles east of the city, was the
sense of king Tissa’s meeting with the great apostle & his consequent
conversion.
But though this alone would cause it to
be the goal of thousands of pilgrims, still more sacred to the average Buddhist
does it become from the fact that the bones of the missionary rest here on one
of the highest plateau.
As in all other stories, told of the
beginning of Buddhism, so in this one legend & chronicle are interwoven. On
the very summit of the great hill is pointed out the boulder on which monk
“Mahinda (Mihindu) “ alighted after his miraculous fight from India to convey
the good tidings, and here as story relates with probable truth, it was where
king Tissa, in pursuit of the Elk-Sambhur are called “Elk” to this day in
Ceylon-encountered the stronger & listened to him.
The run of eight miles from Anuradhapura
is a mere nothing to those possessed of a motor-car, & part of the way may
be followed along the bund of Nuwara-Wewa; by horse & trap, supplied from
the hotel, it takes longer naturally & by bullock hackery lomgest of all. There is also a
motor coach going to Trincomalee everyday, & this passes Mihintale, but it
is runs in the beat of the day, it is not very desirable; the fareis five rupees each way : the hotel trap costs eleven rupees
both ways, allowing for staying a night. What ever arrangement is made,
a night should be spent at the very rough little rest house if possible. As the
only time for climbing the hill in comfort is early or late, a day excursion
does not leave sufficient time.
The direct road to Mihinthale is
singularly uninteresting & devoid of shade ; it is jungle-lined almost the
whole way, but the trees are mostly of no great height & have been cut back
many yards on each side of the track to interfere with the playful little
habits of jungle beasts who used to leap out on unwary passer-by, & even on
the coach not far from the nuwara wewa, near Anuradhapura station, is the
ruined monastery of Toluwila, a coined name, for nothing is known as to the
past history of the place. It is indeed of no great interest, though the plan
follows recognized lines & is especially clear in definition.
The whole eight miles between the sacred
hill & the royal city were once covered by a carpet by order of king
Bathikabhaya (19B.C) (The king who entered the relic-chamber at Ruwanweli) so
that the pilgrims might pass from one to the other without soiling their feet.
The wonder of this fact is naturally felt with greater or less force according
to whether the road has been traversed in a bullock-cart or a motor car.
Mihinthale is not seen until we are
actually there, stopping at the rest house (second class) where the keeper
should be notified beforehand if meals or accommodation are required.
Next to the rest house is the P.W.D
Bunglow & just beyond it’s compound a path leaves the main road &
strikes across to the top end of the small bazzar. Another path from here leads
on across the road. This is exceedingly pretty, running through cleared out
(1910) woodland it passes on the right a hospital or dispensary with a stone “Medicine- Boat” (This is one of the
only tree on such receptacles hitherto discovered in Ceylon) being a slab
hollowed out like the human figure. From an inscription on one of the guard
stones the conjecture as to this being a hospital is confirmed, the inscription
(translation) begins, “ for the benefits of the hospital”, and ends “ any-one
who tales by force what has been provided for this (hospital) will become a got
slaying rakkhasa a terrible curse ! a little father on the left are the ruins
of vihara.
The first flight of stone steps bursts
on one with the beauty of a dream fulfilled, stairways leading to heaven! Just
such a version must that have been seen by Jacob. Overhanging trees throw green
shadows on the worn stone, & the shifting golden lights between may well be
taken for the angel visitants for twenty centuries or more the uncovered feet
of innumerable dark multitudes have ascended & descended, their owners
filled with reverent awe, & seeing vision as surely as did Jacob-vision of
the mighty Buddha over shadowing the island with his presence & of Mahina,
hrs apostle, alighting on the topmost crag which towers up in to the azure sky
far overhead.
This is difficult to see more that a
short way in front, but the top of the flight reveals a precipitous crag on the
right heavily draped in foliage, crowned by a tottering dagaba of ruined brick,
called Giribandha, which can be reached by a worn & steep path. In the cave
below there is an important in scription signifying; cave dedicated to the
community by the noble Asili son of the righteous king Gamini.
Not many visitors ascend this Eyre. They
usually pass on to the second flight of steps & thence to another, above
which, on a flattish terrace, are several ruins. On the left the first seen is
of fair size & contains two specimens of stone canoes. This is knows as the
“Alms Hall” & was doubt less the refectory for the monks living around.
“On the north side of the quadrangle is
an elongated room, feet in length, brick walled & shut off from the
kitchens. This was probably the actual “ sale a manager” where meals were served”
(1910 ii report)
Just a little above it is a small vihara
with mighty inscribed slabs, “tables of stone” of the time of Mahinda iv (A.D
975) bearing a detailed records of temple privileges & regulations.
Right across the track is a third
building very small, known as the halfway house, once a Mandapaya or entrance
hall or porch. Turning right from this a little path leads down words beside s
dressed terrace wall ; to one of the wonders of Mihintale, an open air bath,
much carved, where a most robust & pugnacious lion, ramping on his hind
legs, holds up the stone work. Alas, he faces north-east & is so hemmed in
by trees it is impossible to get a good photograph. Three attempts proved
failures & his majesty must remain unrepresented in this book. The stone
bath itself has been carefully resorted, & has a fringe on interesting
carvings around it. Mr.Bell says of it “there is probably no more handsome
specimen of bold artist work of its kind in granite to be found in Ceylon than
this finely conceived piece of sculpture.
