Vedahala - The Hospital

There is no doubt that Mihintalava, then a home for many thousands of holy men and laymen alike, had all the facilities necessary for them. It was said earlier that the Chinese traveller, Bhikkhu Faxian (FaHsien) in the fourth century noted nearly two thousand Bhikkhus living at Mihintalava.

Thus the need for a good health care system for the residents must have been felt from the beginning. When we study the history of Mihintalava we find that King Sena 11 (853-883 A.D.) had founded a hospital on the Cetiya mountain.

This fact is reported in the Culavamsa. We are not quite certain whether this reference is to the present hospital which is in ruins at the site. It is certain that there existed a hospital earlier than the present one in ruins.

The Jetavanarama slab inscription mentions that King Mahinda IV (952-972 A.D.) built a hospital. Similarly, information is available to us in an inscription at Medirigiriya about a hospital built by Kasyapa V (913-923 A.D.) also at Medirigiriya.

The Mihintalava slab inscription refers to a Puhunda Vedek, meaning a leech doctor and Amandovuva - probably an orthopaedic doctor and the wages and other benefits they should receive. These physicians may have served the hospital at Mihintalava.

The plan of the hospital is also interesting to both students of architecture and History. It is a quadrangular courtyard in the centre of which was a small shrine around which were arranged rows of cells on all four sides. According to HCP Bell the site (which faced south) was laid out most symmetrically as an oblong measuring laterally 118 ft. 6 ins. from west to east by 97 ft. 6 ins. in depth north and south.

This permitted of the quadrated sides on east, west and south being divided up by cross brick walls into a range of seven cells on either hand - the two end rooms double the length of any of the mediate five and nine cells at the back.

To the front the entrance passage occupied the central position, limiting the number of rooms to four on each side of it.

The rooms all faced inwards towards the central shrine. Each chamber was ten feet square; a narrow verandah ran all round their inner face.

In the north - east chamber of the quadrangle is to be seen a stone receptable shaped like sacrophagus.

It is formed of a monolith and measures exteriorly 7 ft. by 2 ft. 6 in across and 2 ft. deep.

Into the top of the stone slab was cut a coffin-shaped hollow rounded to fit head and body tapering, except for a slight kink half way, from 1ft. 7 ins. at the shoulders to 1 ft. at the feet, and at bottom sloping feetwards with a scooped depression for the buttocks.

A similar stone trough can be seen near the Thuparama in Anuradhapura inside a building which is similar in plan to the above. These medicine boats may have been put to use for diseases such as rheumatism.

The planning of the hospital shows two main features. The main building to the north was designed for occupation by patients. The rooms are arranged on a two feet high platform around the Central Courtyard. The rooms face the shrine which is in the Courtyard.

The area of each room is about 100 square feet. The rooms are connected to each other by an inner verandah. The central shrine room which is a square has sides about 28 ft. long. The section on to the south is mainly an outer court. It is connected to the main building and the rooms that open out are for a refectory, for preparation and storing of herbal medicine, for a hot water bath, and for consultation.

Visitors to Mihintalava first encounter the Mihintalava new town associated with the village of Mihintalava or Mihintalagama. The reservoir close by is the Mihintalava Vava.

From the main junction one road leads to Jaffna from Kandy and the other from Anuradhapura to Trincomalee. Near this is situated the bazaar of Mihintalava. On the Galkulama-Kandy road after a few yards one comes to a narrow road on the left that leads to the foot of the flight of steps leading to the summit of the Sacred Mihintalava mountain.

Pious Buddhist devotees take this difficult route in climbing the sacred mountain. They consider that in this way one can acquire more merit.