If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading
Buddha SiddhÄrtha Gautama
You might think that the place where Buddhism was first introduced to Sri Lanka would be among its most visited sites, but Mihintale seems to be off the radar for most tourists. Hence we found it surprisingly quiet and peaceful even visiting mid-afternoon.
Mihintale means Mahinda’s Mountain. This is a significant site for Sri Lanka’s Buddhists, as it is said that here the monk Mahinda from India met Tissa, King of Anuradhapura. As a result of this meeting the king, his family and his subordinates converted to Buddhism.
Our āguideā Champi again proved to be more driver than guide as he simply bought our tickets then left us to explore alone. There were few signs in English apart from in one area, and it was frustrating to see other tourists listening to their informative guides. But we enjoyed taking photos and exploring as best we could. And Iāve since been able to do some research to interpret what we saw here and to take you on a virtual Monday Walk.
Monastic ruins
Ancient stupas
Near the car park is a cluster of ruins and ancient stupas. The ruins include the Assembly Hall or Convocation Hall, where the monks held their daily gatherings. In the centre of this is a dais which served as the seat of the chief monk. The building originally had a wooden roof held up by the stone pillars that still remain and was open at the sides.
Another significant building here was the refectory, known as the Alms Hall. The name refers to the Buddhist practice of giving food to monks as alms. Not far from this are two stone tablets, dating from the 10th century, which are engraved with rules for the administration of the monastic order. Modern signs next to them helpfully translate the engravings into English, so this was one sight here that I was able to understand without a guide!
Alms Hall and stone tablet
The many rules included:
- The monks shall rise early morning, meditate, cleanse the teeth and shall put on robes as described in the Sikha karani
- Thereafter they shall go to the cafeteria at Eth Vehera chanting pirith and receive food
- The sick monks who are unable to attend shall receive food as recommended by the physicians
- The monks residing in Chetiyagiri shall not possess any properties
- The monks who infringe the above regulations shall not live in Chetiyagiri
And very many more!
Ambastale Terrace
From here a long flight of stone steps (I have read 800, though I didnāt count them myself) led up to the main structures of Mihintale. These steps once served as a meditation path for the monks as well as a route for visiting pilgrims.
At the top we had to remove our shoes and continue barefoot or just in socks. Immediately in front of us was an open space known as Ambastale Terrace, with a central stupa, and I contented myself with exploring here.
Ambasthala Dagoba
I later read that I was standing in one of the most sacred parts of the complex, said to be one of the ten places on the island to have been visited by the Buddha himself. Its central white stupa is the Ambastale Dagoba (dagoba is the Sri Lankan word for stupa) or the Sela Chethiya. It marks the spot where Mahinda met the king and is also believed to be the monkās burial place.
The stone pillars surrounding the stupa once held a wooden roof which protected pilgrims circumambulating it from the elements. Nearby on this plateau I was taken with several interesting-looking stone carvings. These include a statue of King Devanampiya Tissa, he who was first converted to Buddhism here. There are others about which I havenāt been able to find any information, although I gather some are gifts from other nations.
The statue of King Devanampiya Tissa and another carving
Mihintaleās high points
Meanwhile Chris climbed further to two larger and much higher stupas. Heās kindly permitted me to share a few of the photos he took up there.
Chris climbing higher, plus three of the photos he took there
Chris also captured this photo of Kantaka Chethiya. This is considered one of Sri Lankaās most architecturally significant stupas. It dates back to at least the 2nd century BCE and was partially restored during the 1930s. This is where we really lost out by not having a good guide, as it would have been great to have had a closer look at this stupa, especially the carvings which include representations of various mythical dwarf-like beings. But I was unaware of its existence at the time and only realised what this was after doing more research on our return. And yes, I could and should have done that research in advance, but I rarely bother when I expect to have a guide as I like to come to places fresh and to hear about them from an informed local!
Also overlooking the Ambastale Terrace is Aradhana Gala or Invitation Rock. It is said that it was from this spot that the monk Mahinda called to the king, inviting him to engage in the conversation that would lead to his conversion.
Aradhana Gala or Invitation Rock, and a modern seated Buddha
Another large rock had a gleaming white Buddha, a relatively new addition to the site. The climb looked too daunting to tackle, especially without shoes! With bare feet the rocks are unpleasantly hot, while with socks they become very slippery. And while there is a handrail in places, this is metal and therefore also very hot. So we both passed on that.
***
Iāve since realised that there are many other things to see here, most involving a degree of step climbing. With better guiding, or more thorough reading before our visit, I might have got more out of our time and attempted some of those climbs. On the other hand, sometimes it can be rewarding simply to wander around and soak up the atmosphere. And itās always possible to read more after your visit, as I did!
Note: after this visit I contacted our tour company, Selective Asia, about Champi’s lack of knowledge about the sights we had been visiting. They very helpfully liaised with the local company to provide extra guiding at several places later in our itinerary. Meanwhile we opted to retain Champi as driver, an arrangement that seemed to please him as much as it did us.
I visited Sri Lanka in February 2026
35 Comments
grandmisadventures
I can’t believe this is not more busy and visited- it seems like you had the place to yourself. I love the simple beauty in it, even all the stairs, that this is meant for reflection not fanfare
Sarah Wilkie
We didn’t quite have it to ourselves but there was only a handful of other people there – a young couple, a French family and several local pilgrims. Thanks for visiting Meg š
the eternal traveller
I don’t know how much meditating I’d be doing while climbing 500 steps with bare feet.
Sarah Wilkie
šš Actually 800 – and more if you climb to the higher points around the main platform!
Annie Berger
How disappointing that you didn’t have the guiding experience necessary to enjoy your stop in the moment. Smart of you to rectify that afterwards with further research.
Sarah Wilkie
Well, I probably would have done some research later anyway, to remind myself of what we saw and learned. And we did enjoy the visit even if we weren’t always clear what we were looking at š It’s just a shame we missed some parts but in that heat maybe a shorter visit was better for me! Thanks Annie š
Rose
That quote! A perfect segue into your article. I think it was awesome that you kept Champi on as a driver, it helps him do what he’s good at, and let’s you choose more knowledgeable guides where you need them. It’s good the tour company offered to help with better guides. And as your situation sort of alludes to, sometimes even with the best of guides there’s so much more to each place we visit. Thanks so much for being our guide on your trip Mihintale.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Rose š We were pleased Selective Asia offered us the option to retain Champi as our driver as we wouldn’t have wanted him to lose work. We heard later that they planned to offer him additional training. And I think he was relieved to be able to concentrate on just the driving. Far from making him resent us, as we feared, he bought us a lovely present of a carved wooden elephant before we left š
wetanddustyroads
It’s a shame that you couldn’t get more information when you were there during the visit (and it’s even more frustrating when you later realise what you missed). But still, you (and Chris) took lovely photos.
I don’t mind climbing steps, but I don’t know if I’d want to do it in my socks (and even more so when it’s hot).
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you for those nice words about the photos (I’ll pass them on to Chris too) š Socks were better than bare feet in that heat – I could feel the stones burning even through them!
Marie
I made it half way up to the wall paintings and had enough.š
Sarah Wilkie
I didn’t even get that far unfortunately though later I did wish I had – I was under the impression it would be too hard to turn back and walk against the tide so I thought it better not to even start!
gsilvosatrekpix
We know the feeling of having a guide acting more like a driver. The experience was frustrating but it also had its advantages. Same thing, it allowed us to explore more instead of being hurried to the next stop.
Sarah Wilkie
I’m sure it happens from time to time but we’ve been lucky on the whole. And we’ve even had a driver (in Rajasthan) who was able to share as much info as some guides!
Sue
All those steps! But a great ancient walk
Sarah Wilkie
From what I’ve read, if Champi hadn’t taken us to the upper car park but used the main one below, it would have added a further 1,000 steps! It was well worth the effort for sure – thanks Sue š
Sue
Well done, Champi! Some things do work!
bushboy
I did enjoy my ancient wander Sarah. Thanks for no making me climb too many stairs.
Sarah Wilkie
Glad you enjoyed your visit, thanks Brian š
Marie
I admire your 800 step climb. I visited Sri Lanka about 10 years ago and loved it. We went to many sacred sites but not the one. A fascinating country.
Sarah Wilkie
Many thanks Marie š It is a fascinating country and I’m glad to have seen its sacred sights, but I think I enjoyed most the towns (Jaffna and Galle) and national parks (Wilpattu and Gal Oya) that we visited there.
Marie
We went to Galle, Colombo, Kandy, and stayed on a lake
Marie
Oops. Sent too soon. Also in the highlands. Did a short extension to visit parks with elephants. I didn’t make it to the top of Sigiriya but the rest did.
Sarah Wilkie
I passed on Sigiriya too!
Monkey's Tale
Now I’m curious to look at our pictures and my notes when we get home. We visited Kantaka Chethiya, and we also took a picture like the one Chris did from above, but I titled it ruins. Either I didn’t realize at the time that it was the same stupa, or they are different structures. I have no idea. My blog posts in those days were much less detailed. Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Or I’m wrong and that isn’t Kantaka Chethiya! We didn’t get a closer look so I’m only judging by photos I’ve seen online and it’s possible there are two very similar stupas š Let me know what you conclude when you look at your photos again – thanks Maggie š
Monkey's Tale
I’ll try to remember š
restlessjo
I used to always read extensively about a place before going there, Sarah, but these days I find I often forget what I’ve read and am happy just to absorb atmosphere. If people are interested they can usually do the research, but some places are less easy to find out about and I suspect that would be the case here. You’re not likely to go back so it’s a shame to have missed out, but we get a sense of the place from your photos xx
Sarah Wilkie
I know what you mean about forgetting what you read! I like to try to get a balance between atmosphere and information, and usually do, but on this occasion I’d like to have known a little more about what we were seeing while there! Glad you managed to get a good sense of this place anyway Jo š
Sue
Looks a most interesting but rather mystifying place – shame about the guiding
Sarah Wilkie
It was both those things – thanks Sue š
Sue
šš
Marie
It’s SO uncrowded – what a pleasure. I’ve never heard of the site. So much to see there – you got a fair bit out of it despite your lack of a guide. I’m not mad about steps – I’ve started sending Tom on the odd solo recce also!!!! I love those ancient stupas and the statues…
Sarah Wilkie
It really was surprisingly quiet compared to other sites in the Cultural Triangle š Glad you enjoyed seeing a bit of it with me!
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
The steps Chris is going up look very uneven – I think Iād have passed on them too, especially in socks.