Poson Poya at Mihintale
Poson, the June full moon, marks the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Pilgrims in white climb the stairway at Mihintale, where the monk Mahinda met the king.
Poson Poya, the full moon in June, celebrates the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC. According to the chronicles, the monk Mahinda, son of the Indian emperor Ashoka, met King Devanampiya Tissa on the hill at Mihintale while the king was out hunting deer. Mahinda tested the king with a riddle about a mango tree, then preached to him, and the king and his court became Buddhists. Mihintale has been the centre of Poson ever since.
On Poson, Mihintale and nearby Anuradhapura fill with pilgrims dressed in white. Most climb the long granite stairway, shaded by frangipani trees, to the Ambasthala Dagoba, built where the meeting is said to have happened, and then up to the Aradhana Gala rock and the Mahaseya stupa at the top. Many also visit the Sri Maha Bodhi and Ruwanwelisaya in Anuradhapura on the same trip.
Like Vesak, Poson brings lanterns, illuminated pandols and dansal (free food stalls) along the roads, especially on the routes into Anuradhapura and Mihintale.
Go early in the morning or after sunset. You climb barefoot on the upper terraces, and the rock gets very hot by midday. Wear white or light clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, and expect very large crowds on the Poya day itself.
At a glance
- When: Usually in June
- Duration: Poson Poya day, with events over the weekend around it
- Venue: Mihintale, Anuradhapura
- Organizer: Mihintale Raja Maha Viharaya
- Entry: Free on Poson