Anuradhapura Part 2--Mihintale (8-5)

Wednesday I hired a tuk tuk to take me to Mihintale, a nearby recommended site. Tuesday evening when I asked the receptionist about hiring a tuk tuk, he talked to his boss, which seems to be how things related to money are done at this guesthouse, and returned with a “don’t tell anyone” special price of 1500 rupees/$11 instead of 2000/$15. I would have agreed to the higher price, but the discount—if it was really a discount, as I had been offered 1500 and 2000 rupees before—was nice.

I woke up tired Wednesday morning after the day’s exertion on Tuesday, but off I went at 8:15. I knew Mihintale involved lots of steps, but I had no other plan for the day; so it was OK. Mihintale is important because it is believed to be the site of a meeting between a monk and a king that resulted in bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka.

When we arrived at the parking lot, a man approached and asked if I wanted a guide. He showed me his official ID and spoke English well. I liked him and I had wanted a guide someplace so I could learn a bit more than when walking around on my own. So I asked about his price. I had to ask three times to get a response other than that I could donate what I wanted. He then said he would take me for $10 or 1300 rupees instead of his usual 1500/$11. Hiring him was a good decision, as he is very knowledgeable and he took me places I wouldn’t have known about on my own. 

First we went to the meditation caves and the 1^st century BC stupa at the top of a mountain. Since these are in the opposite direction from the main site, I wouldn’t have known to go there. There are a number of caves where the 2000 monks meditated. 

One of the caves has a grinding stone pit where herbs were ground to make medicine. 

The guide showed me the rain dripping ledges on the caves. I’d seen reference to these but hadn’t understood what they were or how they worked. A layer of rock was carved away leaving an overhanging ledge from which the rain dripped straight down to the ground instead of following the contour of the rock and going into the cave. I’d seen these on Monday at the caves at Vessagiriya but didn’t know what they were.

A unique aspect of the stupa 

is that there are pillars with a different animal on top of them to indicate the four directions. The animals are the same ones that are on the Moonstone—elephant, lion, horse, and bull. Each direction also has an altar and a pedestal with the Buddha’s footprints. 

Carvings on the stupa include Hindu gods and people making offerings to Ganesh in addition to the usual elephant heads. 

One wall has remains of original paintings.

Near the stupa the guide pointed out a black monkey called a bear monkey in a tree. These are different from the macaques.

Next we went to the monastery. One unique feature is a standing lion shower. Water came from above to the lion’s mouth, which monks stood under to shower. There is also a stone hole that was used for washing or dyeing robes. Jackfruit tree bark was used for the yellow-orange color.

The refectory is similar to the one at Abayagiri with a large rice trough and a smaller one for curry. Fire pits were used to cook the rice. Instead of sitting on benches in the refectory, the monks took their food and sat in the forest. The refectory has a water pipe for which water came from above. It also has a draining hole to take water underground.

From the refectory, there are stairs that go halfway up the mountain. 

There is a white stupa with columns around it. 

From that point, there are three places one can visit—all up more stairs: a stupa, 

a new Buddha statue, and the top of the rock. 

I decided that I didn’t need to see the stupa or statue up close and only went up the rock. 

For climbing up the rock, there are some stairs cut into the rock and some footholds. Fortunately, there is a strong pipe railing which I held onto the whole way. My guide was good about helping when needed and sometimes telling me where to put my feet. A sign informs visitors that the Great Stairway consists of 1850 rock-cut steps. I think this must include steps to all three of the monuments, and, since I went to only one, I didn’t go up that many steps. 

Of course, the views from the top of the rock are spectacular. There is a 360 degree view.

On the way down from the top of the rock, we stopped at a cave beside the path. This took some assistance to get to, as it’s off the beaten path. There is a flat rock on which a famous monk sat to meditate. When you get onto the rock, the place to sit is clear and easy to slide onto. The view from there is magnificent, making it a very peaceful place.

Since I had a guide, I remembered to ask about the painted palms on many Buddha statues. He said that it is something the artists do and that it has no particular meaning.

As we approached the parking lot, the guide mentioned his three children—17, 15, and 12— and the fact that there weren’t many tourists and asked if I was happy with his service, the hints for a tip. He was pretty low key about it, though. When I asked if the oldest would go to university after this year, he said she will take the university entrance exam in December. Education is free, but of course there are expenses for such things as housing, food, books, and uniforms. He is a good man, and I was glad to have used him as a guide.

I arrived back at the guesthouse just after noon, having been gone for four hours. I was tired; so I relaxed for the rest of the day. I had thought about going to the new town, but on the way back we drove through it and I realized that there wasn’t anything that interested me. So I was happy to enjoy my room and the garden where I took advantage of the hammock I’d been eyeing. I enjoyed relaxing in it for a couple hours before dinner time.

For dinner I decided to try the “grilled chicken with French price.” When I first saw this on the menu, I couldn’t figure out what it was, but the price was the highest item in the group. Later I noticed that a sandwich was also served with “French price” and realized that it was “French fries.” The meal was delicious and it was really nice to have fries instead of rice, which I was tired of.

Snack stands sometimes advertise “cool drinks.” And they mean cool, not cold. They are at a lower temperature than outside but are not cold. Most drinks are carbonated drinks, but I did find one stand that had juice that was good. The drinks come in glass bottles. My favorite is ginger beer.