Mihintale
The mountain where Buddhism first came to Sri Lanka, where the monk Mahinda met King Devanampiyatissa, reached by a grand stairway to stupas, caves and a summit view.
About 13 km east of Anuradhapura, a sacred mountain rises where Buddhism first took root on Sri Lankan soil, a place tradition holds as the very cradle of Buddhist Sinhalese civilization on the island. According to the ancient chronicles, King Devanampiya Tissa, an avid deer hunter, came to these hills in the 3rd century BCE pursuing a stag, only to encounter Arahant Mahinda, son of the great Indian Emperor Ashoka, sent as a missionary to bring Buddhism to Sri Lanka. So moved was the king by Mahinda's wisdom that the encounter sparked the formal conversion of the Sinhalese people to Buddhism, an event that would shape the island's religious identity for the next two and a half millennia.
Originally known as Missaka Pabbata or Cetiyagiri, the mountain range comprises three central hills, Ambastala, Rajagiri and Anaikutti, and reaching the summit means climbing 1,840 rock cut steps, a demanding ascent rewarded with sweeping panoramic views and a genuinely dense cluster of ancient religious monuments along the way. The Ambasthala Dagoba marks the exact spot where Mahinda and the king are believed to have first met, while the Maha Seya stupa crowns the mountain's peak, and the Kantaka Chetiya, an older stupa decorated with intricate carvings, sits partway up the climb, its excavated relic chamber now on display at the Anuradhapura museum.
Counted among the sixteen most sacred Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka, Mihintale draws considerably fewer crowds than Anuradhapura's more famous monuments despite its foundational religious significance, its forested slopes lined with frangipani and mango trees offering a genuinely peaceful, contemplative climb. For pilgrims and history minded travelers alike, Mihintale represents something the grander stupas of Anuradhapura cannot quite match, the literal starting point of the entire tradition those later monuments were built to honor.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Around USD 5 for foreign visitors
- Opening hours: 7:00am to 7:00pm
- Time needed: 2 to 3 hours
- Best time: Early morning or for the Poson full moon in June
Getting there
About 13km east of Anuradhapura on the Trincomalee road.
Before you go
- The 1,840 steps are easier in the cool of early morning or late afternoon. Midday is hot and exposed near the top.
- Dress modestly and be ready to remove your shoes near the summit shrines.
- It is about 13km from Anuradhapura and works well as a sunset finish to a Cultural Triangle day.
- If you are here for the Poson full moon in June, expect huge, joyful crowds of pilgrims.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is Mihintale significant?
- It is regarded as the birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, where the monk Mahinda is said to have converted the king in the third century BC. That makes it one of the country's most revered pilgrimage sites.
- How hard is the climb?
- There are over 1,800 steps, but they are broken into easy flights and shaded for much of the way. Most reasonably fit people manage it comfortably in the cool of the morning or evening.
- How much does it cost?
- Foreign visitors pay a small entrance fee of a few US dollars. Bring cash.
- How long do you need?
- Two to three hours to climb, take in the ruins and stupas and enjoy the view. Combine it with the Anuradhapura sacred city nearby.