'Buddhism was
introduced to Sri Lanka at Mihintale in 247 B.C. King Devanampiyatissa of Sri
Lanka, who was on a hunting expedition, became a disciple of Buddha after the
Buddhist missionary Mahinda preached a sermon. He was followed by his queen,
his ministers, officials and the people. Mihintale thus became historically and
religiously significant, and ever since it annually attracts pilgrims during
the June full moon to commemorate the official introduction of Buddhism to Sri
Lanka. To accommodate the lay and scholarly interest in Mihintale, both the
sacred area and the town have undergone several phases of development, including
a site museum. A rock inscription records the finest description of the running
of a monastery in the 9th century A.D. It refers to the 200 or more serfs who
assisted the religious congregation of 2,000. It also records the salaries paid
to the physician, the surgeons, the teachers, potters, cooks and other workers.
The lay assistants were instructed to submit the list of expenditures once a
week, a summary of accounts at the end of each lunar month, and a balance
sheet at the end of each year.
Refectory hall
(left), stone inscriptions (above) and the relic chamber (below) at Mihintale
where Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka by Prince Mahinda, the son of Indian
Emperor Ashoka, in 247 B.C.'
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