Indikatu Seya Complex

The Ancient Cities


On the road leading to Old Rd, west of the site proper, are the remains of a monastery enclosed in the ruins of a stone wall. Visible here are two dagobas, the larger known as Indikatu Seya (Dagoba of the Needle). Evidence suggests that this monastery was active in fostering Mahayana Buddhism. The main dagoba’s structure differs from others in Mihintale in that it’s built on a square platform.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Ancient Cities attractions

1. Rajagirilena

0.19 MILES

Behind the Indikatu Seya is this hill that’s been dubbed Rajagirilena (Royal Cave Hill) after the caves found here with Brahmi inscriptions in them. One…

2. Hospital

0.24 MILES

The remains of a 9th-century hospital sit a stone's throw from the site museum. The hospital consisted of a number of cells. A bat oruwa (large stone…

3. Kantaka Chetiya

0.31 MILES

At the first landing, a side flight of 100 steps branches right to this partly ruined dagoba, one of the oldest at Mihintale. It’s 12m high (originally…

4. Mihintale Museum

0.32 MILES

This small museum on the road leading to the stairway base is worth a short visit for its modest collection of artefacts collected from Mihintale.

5. Quincunx

0.34 MILES

The remains of a quincunx of buildings, laid out like the five dots on a die, sits beside the path leading from the museum to the stairway.

6. Stairway

0.35 MILES

In a series of flights, 1843 ancient granite slab steps lead majestically up the hillside, passing the occasional rock inscription and side trail. The…

7. Sinha Pokuna

0.37 MILES

Just below the monks’ refectory on the second landing, and near the entrance if you are coming via Old Rd, is a small pool surmounted by a 2m-high rampant…

8. Mihintale Ruins

0.42 MILES

The sleepy ruins of Mihintale are closely associated with the earliest introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka. A ceremonial staircase climbs past pools,…

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