MIHINTALAVA

The Birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhist Civilization

Mihintalava Mountain, the rocky citadel of Buddhism,
is situated 13 km east of the city of Anuradhapura,
or 226 km from Colombo.

The launching of this Web-site is a National venture
that Lake House undertook to promote Mihintalava among
the international Buddhist community

The Lake House has been consecutively organizing  the Aloka Puja for the past 58 years

58 වැනි ලේක් හවුස් - මිහින්තලා ආලෝක පුජා සජීවී දර්ශන

අසිරිමත් සම්බුදු සිරිපා ශෛලමය අනුරුව මිහින්තලය පුණ්‍යවන්ත භුමියකරා වැඩම වූ දර්ශන

ALOKA PUJAVA

Articles About Mihintalava

Buddhist Art

Arahat Mahinda introduced art and architecture into the island along with Sangharamas and Cetiyas.

Monuments

Monuments of Mihintalava witness the rich civilization
introduced with the advent of Arhat Mahinda who met
the island’s king at the Missaka Pabbata 

Poson

The birth of the new civilization took place on a Poson Day 2315 years ago  with the historic meeting between Arhat Mahindaand King Tissa on the plains of  Mihintalava

This rocky citadel is an important place of pilgrimage for the Buddhist, who ascend the picturesque line of stone steps leading to the hallowed ‘aradhana-gala’ at the summit. These steps, numbering 1,084, so splendidly carved with great skill, indicate the work of superb constructional engineering. Seeing this line of steps a European once remarked “So wonderful to look at, it appears as if leading to Heaven”.

Poson brings pleasant recollections of the heyday of Buddhism in Anuradhapura the capital of Devanampiyatissa and in Pataliputra, the capital of Asoka. Asoka’s son Mahinda had given up a promising career in the Royal court of his father and joined the Order of Bhikkhu Sangha. His father’s brother had done the same. Asoka’s daughter Sanghamitta had made a similar decision to join the Order of Bhikkhunis.

This rocky citadel is an important place of pilgrimage for the Buddhist, who ascend the picturesque line of stone steps leading to the hallowed ‘aradhana-gala’ at the summit. These steps, numbering 1,084, so splendidly carved with great skill, indicate the work of superb constructional engineering. Seeing this line of steps a European once remarked “So wonderful to look at, it appears as if leading to Heaven”.

Poson brings pleasant recollections of the heyday of Buddhism in Anuradhapura the capital of Devanampiyatissa and in Pataliputra, the capital of Asoka. Asoka’s son Mahinda had given up a promising career in the Royal court of his father and joined the Order of Bhikkhu Sangha. His father’s brother had done the same. Asoka’s daughter Sanghamitta had made a similar decision to join the Order of Bhikkhunis.