Geography of Early Buddhism c11.4

c11.4

The Samantapāsādikā (pp. 96-97) tells us that Asoka requested by King Devānampiyatissa of Ceylon sent a branch of the Bodhi-tree to Ceylon. It is said that Asoka from Pāṭaliputta taking with him the branch, crossed the Ganges by boat, and then traversing the Vinjhāṭavi, reached Tāmalitti, a great seaport town of the time. It was from this port that the branch of the Bodhi-tree was taken to Ceylon on a sea-going vessel. Tāmalitti is modern Tamluk. It was formerly on the mouth of the Ganges. It is now situated on the western bank of the Rūpnārāyaṇa, formed by the united stream of the Silai (Silāwatī) and Dalkisor (Dvārikeśvarī) in the district of Midnapore. Tāmalittī (Malitthiyaka) is also referred to in the Ceylonese Chronicles (Dv., p. 28; Mv., p. 93).