Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v2.c31.2381

v2.c31.2381

Twenty-six days Mahinda stayed in Mahāmeghavana, and on the thirteenth day of the bright half of Āsāḷha, after having preached the Mahāppamāda Sutta, he went to Missakapabbata, to spend the *vassa*. The king had sixty-eight rock-cells built in the mountain and gave them to the theras on the full-moon day. On the same day Mahinda ordained sixty-two monks, who attained arahantship, at Tumbarumālaka. After the full-moon day of Kaṭṭika, at the conclusion of the *pavāraṇa* ceremony, Mahinda held a consultation with Devānampiyatissa and sent Sumanasāmaṇera to Pāṭaliputta to bring the relics of the Buddha from Dhammāsoka and other relics from Sakka. These relics were brought and placed on the Missakapabbata, which from then onwards was called Cetiyagiri. The collar-bone from among the relics was deposited in the Thūpārāma (*q.v.*), which was built for the purpose. It was at Mahinda's suggestion that Devānampiyatissa sent an embassy headed by Mahāarittha to Asoka, with a request that Saṅghamittā should come to Ceylon with a branch of the Bodhi-tree. The request was granted, and Saṅghamittā arrived in Ceylon with the branch. Devānampiyatissa, during the later part of his reign, acting on the advice of Mahinda, built numerous vihāras, each one yojana from the other; among them were Issarasamaṇaka and Vessagiri.