Eight miles east of Anuradhapura, close to the Anuradhapura Trincomalee Road is situated the Missaka Pabbata which is 1,000 feet (300 m) in height and is one of the peaks of a mountainous range. Geographically, the mountain range consists of three main hills: Ambastala Plateau of the Mango. Rajagiri, Mountain of the King, and Aanaikuddy the Mountain of the Elephant. The word Aanaikuddy is Tamil. Thus, this mountain range should have some connection with the Tamils, probably the Tamil Buddhist Monks.
According to Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa, Thera Mahinda came to Sri Lanka from India on the full moon day of the month of Poson (June) and met King Devanampiyatissa and the people, and preached the doctrine. The traditional spot where this meeting took place is revered by the Buddhists of Sri Lanka. Therefore in the month of Poson, Buddhists make their pilgrimage to Anuradhapura and Mihintale.
Mahinda was the son of Emperor Ashoka of India. King Ashoka embraced Buddhism after he was inspired by a very small monk named Nigrodha. The King who was in great misery after seeing the loss of life caused by his waging wars to expand his empire, was struck by the peaceful countenance of such a young monk. Meeting this young monk made a turning point in his life and he thereafter, renounced wars. He was determined to spread the message of peace, to neutralize the effects from the damages caused by him through his warfare. As a result both his son and daughter were ordained as Buddha disciples, and became enlightened as Arahats. In his quest to spread the message of peace instead of war, he sent his son Mahinda, to the island of Lanka, which was also known as Sinhal. This island was being ruled by his pen friend King Devanampiyatissa. Thus, Mahinda was the exclusive Indian name which in Sinhal, became commonly known as Mihindu in the local vernacular Sinhala.
In Sinhala Mihin-Thal literally means the plateau of Mihindu. This plateau is the flat terrain on top of a hill from where Arahat Mihindu was supposed to have called King Devanampiyatissa, by the Kings first name to stop him shooting a deer in flight. Hence, Mihin Thal is a specifically Sinhala term. This is how the place has been called and still is, in the local vernacular Sinhala. A study of the local vernacular will give ample proof for this. Therefore, the supposition that this name Mihin Thal was derived from the Tamil name Mahinda Malai is erroneous and unfounded.
This is said have been called Cetiyagiri or Sagiri, even though it was more popularly known as Mihintale the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
Aradhana Gala,or the Rock of Invitation faces Maha Seya is on a summit of a hill. Even during very windy weather pilgrims do not fail to visit this rock, which has iron railings to help them to climb. This rock is the exact place where Mahinda Thero landed in Sri Lanka and where the thero spoke the king first time.
Pormary source : Mihintale Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
