Behind the Indikatu Seya is this hill that’s been dubbed Rajagirilena (Royal Cave Hill) after the caves found here with Brahmi inscriptions in them. One of the caves bears the name of Devanampiya Tissa. A flight of steps leads up to the caves.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
7.78 MILES
Dating back to the 1st century BC, this colossal dagoba was the ceremonial focus of the 5000-strong Abhayagiri Monastery. Originally over 100m high, it…
7.59 MILES
This magnificent white dagoba is guarded by a wall with a frieze of 344 elephants standing shoulder to shoulder. Apart from a few beside the western…
7.51 MILES
The sacred bodhi tree is central to Anuradhapura in both a spiritual and physical sense. It was grown from a cutting brought from Bodhgaya in India and is…
0.73 MILES
The main ceremonial stairway, lined with frangipani trees, leads to the Ambasthale Dagoba, built over the spot where Mahinda converted Devanampiya Tissa…
7.09 MILES
The Jetavanarama Dagoba’s massive dome rises above the entire eastern part of Anuradhapura. Built in the 3rd century by King Mahasena, it may have…
0.48 MILES
Just below the monks’ refectory on the second landing, and near the entrance if you are coming via Old Rd, is a small pool surmounted by a 2m-high rampant…
7.77 MILES
The old British colonial administration building has recently been renovated and has an interesting collection of artwork, carvings and everyday items…
Anuradhapura World Heritage Site
7.07 MILES
The ruins of Anuradhapura are one of South Asia’s most evocative sights. The sprawling complex contains a rich collection of archaeological and…
Nearby The Ancient Cities attractions
0.19 MILES
On the road leading to Old Rd, west of the site proper, are the remains of a monastery enclosed in the ruins of a stone wall. Visible here are two dagobas…
0.33 MILES
On the southwest outskirts of Mihintale is the lovely Kaludiya Pokuna, an artificial pool that features a rock-carved bathhouse and the ruins of a small…
0.43 MILES
The remains of a 9th-century hospital sit a stone's throw from the site museum. The hospital consisted of a number of cells. A bat oruwa (large stone…
0.44 MILES
At an even higher elevation (309m) than the Mahaseya Dagoba is the little-visited and modest Et Vihara (literally, ‘Elephant Monastery’) stupa, which…
0.46 MILES
At the first landing, a side flight of 100 steps branches right to this partly ruined dagoba, one of the oldest at Mihintale. It’s 12m high (originally…
0.48 MILES
Just below the monks’ refectory on the second landing, and near the entrance if you are coming via Old Rd, is a small pool surmounted by a 2m-high rampant…
0.51 MILES
The remains of a quincunx of buildings, laid out like the five dots on a die, sits beside the path leading from the museum to the stairway.
0.51 MILES
This small museum on the road leading to the stairway base is worth a short visit for its modest collection of artefacts collected from Mihintale.