Mihintalava - a unique and sacred centre

Nemsiri MUTUKUMARA

POSON POYA: The historic event of the arrival of Arhat Thera Mahinda, son of Emperor Asoka in Lanka, from Jambudvipa was the most far reaching in shaping the destiny of the people and the country, unparalleled in human history.

Arhat Thera Mahinda accompanied by Itthiya Thera, Uttiya Thera, Sambala Thera, Bhaddasala Thera, Samanera Sumana and Upasaka Bhanduka - a layman.

The Prelate alighted on the Missaka Mountain on the Poson Pasalosvaka Poya Day. In this festival season, the reigning monarch, King Devanampiyatissa was on a hunting spree with his ministers and nobles.

Arhat Thera Mahinda, with his psychic power concealed the sight of the rest of the retinue and allowed the King to see the Prelate alone and called the King by his name Tissa, twice.

The King the most powerful person on the soil of Lanka was taken aback and looked up.

A saintly figure, shaven headed draped in saffron robe spoke in His sonorous voice, in one sentence giving out who, what, why from where.

“Samanamayam Maharaja

Dhammarajassa savaka

Tame’va anukampaya

Jambudipa Idhagata”

Samanas, are we,O! King,

Disciples of the

Dhamma Raja

With compassion to you,

We have come from Jambudipa.

The bow and arrow, the King was trying to use on an innocent deer, fell down to the ground and the King entered into a conversation with Arhat Thera Mahinda which is recognised and hailed as the first I.Q. Test recorded anywhere in the world.

The Missaka Mountain and the area on which Arhat and his retinue alighted came to be popularly called Mihintalava.

Devanampiyatissa converted all the cave like formations in the mountain as dwelling places of the Bhikkhu Sangha. And the whole area of Mihintalava became an abode of Bhikkhus.

From the bottom of the rock granite flight of steps were constructed for Bhikkhus, pilgrims and visitors.

Ever since this memorable event Mihintale became a sacred centre of pilgrimage. Away from the sacred city of Anuradhapura by about 15 kilometres, the pilgrims paying homage to the Atamasthanaya - the eight sacred places of worship in Anuradhapura, trek to Mihintale at dusk.

After the fall of the Anuradhapura Kingdom and the plundering of the city by foreign invaders, many a time, the Bhikkhu Sangha took away with them books, sacred relics and other holy objects and went in search of cave dwellings for their protection until the advent of Sinhala Buddhist rulers.

The ordinary people, innocent and hapless drifted towards the Central and Southern Provinces.

Mihintale too became deserted, for several centuries Buddhists had to suffer in silence. During this long period, fauna and flora took the better part of the Sacred Mihintale, the Centre of the dawn of the New Civilization.

In the twentieth century after the Common Era, Buddhists led by the Bhikkhu Sangha began focusing their dedicated attention to the Solosmasthana - 16 most sacred centres, Atamasthana - the eight most sacred centres of worship sanctified by the visit of Sakyamuni Buddha during His three visits to Lanka.

Mihintalava, unique in itself, without being in those lists, maintain its predominance as a sacred centre. Due to years of desolateness the trek of Mihintale was extremely difficult. The area was covered by thick jungle.

Absence of electricity rendered visits more difficult. Gradually, clearing the jungle and making footpaths, cleaning the granite steps helped pilgrims to visit Mihintale but such visits were a few and far between.

Some people who went their after dusk, carried with them torches made out of rags of cloth tied to wooden poles. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited - the Lake House group of papers in 1963 decided to illuminate the Mihintalava.

A generator provided electricity to the Mihintale Seya - the Dagaba which enshrined the sacred relics of Arhat Thera Mahinda.

That was the beginning of the Aloka Puja the Lake House offered to Mihintalava which has today created a new dawn not only to the people of Mihintalava but also everywhere across the country.

The Puja has become increasingly relevant for the occasion and also enhanced by its quality and the facilities provided to the millions of people converging on Mihintalava from the Pre-Poya day onwards.

(The late Nemsiri Mutukumara was an Associate Editor of the Daily News)