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Mihintale Maha Seya (මිහින්තලේ මහා සෑය)

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Mahaseya as in 1896 from The ruined cities of Ceylon by Henry W. Cave — Mahaseya as in 1896 from The Ruined Cities of Ceylon by Henry W. Cave

No matter which road you take to Mihintale, your first glimpse is almost always of the majestic Mihintale Maha Seya, the largest and most prominent stupa, perched halfway up the Mihintale mountain. It captivates from a distance, gleaming like a white bubble under the radiant sun.

Especially from the Trincomalee road, you can see it across the expansive Mahakandara Wewa Reservoir—a view too breathtaking for any camera to fully capture. On a moonlit, starry night, it glows with a soft, milky white light, and when it rains, the stupa takes on an even more enchanting beauty, shrouded in a rosy mist. Whether under the sun or rain, day or night, the Maha Seya never fails to awe, drawing you toward the sacred grounds of Missakapabbata.

According to popular belief, the urnaroma of the Buddha is enshrined in this stupa. The stupa was most probably built by king Devanampitasissa (250-210 BCE) around 243 BCE (Parker, 1909, p. 276).

Sinhalese literary work Pujavaliya and the slab inscription of Mahinda IV at Mihintale refer to this stupa as Ambulu Dagaba.

Today, the Mahaseya stands with a base diameter of 136 feet and an estimated height of around 45 feet, serving as a prominent symbol of Mihintale.

References

Parker, H. (1909). Ancient Ceylon: An Account of the Aborigines and of Part of the Early Civilisation (1st ed.). Luzac & Co.

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Map of the Mihintale Maha Seya

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Driving Directions to Mihintale Maha Seya

Mihintale can be reached through many routes from Colombo. The two main routes are through Puttalam (Puttalama) and through Kurunegala. Traveling from Puttalam, you will pass the scenic Wilpattu area. From Kurunegala, there are two main routes to Mihintale. The most common route is through Dambulla. The other route is through Galgamuwa. Out of all the routes, the most commonly used is the Kurunegala–Dambulla route (Route 2).

Route 01 from Colombo to Mihintale (A3)	Route 02 from Colombo to Mihintale
Through : Central Expressway – Badagamuwa – Dambulla Distance: 223 km Travel Time: 4.45 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.	Through: Negombo – Chilaw – Puttalam Distance: 227 km Travel Time: 5.15 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.
Route from Kandy to Mihintale	Route from Anuradhapura to Mihintale
Through: Distance: 136 km Travel Time: 3,30 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.	Through: A12 Distance: 14 km Travel Time: 25 mins Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.

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References

Also See

Map of the Mihintale Maha Seya

Driving Directions to Mihintale Maha Seya

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