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Mihintalava - The Birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhist Civilization

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Ambasthale Dagoba :

Where the sacred message was received

Some of you may have visited Mihintale during the Poson season. You may have seen many dagobas beautifully lit up at night, and enjoyed yourselves looking at all the colourful decorations. The sacred area of Mihintale contains many dagobas and other important sites.

The Ambasthale Dagoba, a temple which towers above the city of Mihintale, is one of the most important stupas in the site. It is said to be built over the very spot where Arahat Mahinda Thera is said to have appeared before King Devanampiyatissa and preached the Buddha's word to him. The name Ambasthale means mango tree and refers to the riddle posed by Mahinda Thera to the king. The final steeper section of the famed Mihintale stairway, which comprises 1840 steps, leads to the Ambasthale Dagoba. The stairway is lined with frangipani (araliya) trees.

The steps leading to this temple are flanked by guard- stones, which were a common architectural feature of sacred buildings of the era. It is built of stones not bricks, and is situated on a terrace. Octagonal pillars encircle the temple. These stone pillars are believed to have supported a wooden roof at one time. Nearby is a statue of King Devanampiyatissa at the spot where he is said to have stood during the historic meeting. On the opposite side, beyond the dagoba, is a large, white statue of the seated Buddha.

The Sela Chetiya is another important dagoba situated closeby, and has a stone rendering of the Buddha's footprint. The railing surrounding the dagoba is covered with prayer flags left by pilgrims.

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A beautiful pool

The Kaludiya Pokuna (dark water pool), also in Mihintale, is a beautiful and peaceful place, and has been acknowledged as one of the most beautiful of the 'beauty spots' in the North Central Province, by renowned archaeologists. It lies in a valley between At-vehera-kanda and Anai-kutti-kanda.

It is an artificial pool that has been constructed very carefully to look realistic, and features a bath- house carved of rock, and the ruins of a small monastery. This monastery is believed to have been isolated from the other more prominent Buddhist establishments of Mihintale. It had been skilfully laid out, adapting to the various levels and interspaces between the foot boulders of the surrounding hills.

The lake had two gateways on the northern and southern ends, which had appeared as shapeless mounds until they were reconstructed in 1941-1942 using the old material discovered while the mounds were being excavated.A bathing house is situated close to the monastery, beneath a large boulder (rock) which hangs at a height of about 13 feet.

Inside is an admirable dressing room, made of granite slabs, attached to what may have been a bathing pond.The renowned archaeologist H.C.Bell believed that the Kaludiya Pokuna monastery belonged to a latter era than the other religious constructions of Mihintale.

Although there are no references to the site on any inscriptions found from Mihintale, Bell suggested that it may have been what is known as the 'Hadayunha Vihara' which Kasyapa I (912-929AD) built at the Cetiya-Pabbata, when he also prepared cells (caves) for the use of priests who lived in groves.

There are also theories that the lake may have been the 'Porodini Pokuna' mentioned in King Mahinda IV's tablet record.

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