The above Pali stanza means that on the ‘Duruthu’ (January) full moon day, in the ninth month after Enlightenment, the Buddha made his first visit to Lanka, to purge the country from malignant influences of uncanny spirits. On that historic day, the Buddha, having taken his meal near the Anotatta lake, by the foothills of the Himalayas, had left for Sri Lanka by evening to accomplish his mission, because he foresaw that the Buddha Sasana, once established, would remain for 5,000 years. At the time of the Buddha’s visit, the aborigines or the original inhabitants of the country were ‘yakkas’ (demon-worshippers) and ‘nagas’ (snake-worshippers). The ‘yakkas’ were numerous and very powerful, and held themselves aloof and confined themselves to the mountain fastnesses of the North-Central region, whereas the ‘nagas’ confined themselves to the sea-board, and Maniakkhika was the ‘naga’ king of Kelaniya. The luxuriantly wooded Mahanaga garden, on the right-bank of the river Mahaveli, which discharges its confluence into the sea near Trincomalee, was at that time a strategic stronghold of the ‘yakkas’. When Buddha arrived at the Mahanaga garden to intercept the ‘yakkas’ who were assembled there, they were more surprised than alarmed, when they saw him clad in a yellow robe and shaven headed. Being inquisitive of the intruder and to know who he was, the ‘yakka’ chief asked the Buddha, “Who art thou to come here and disturb us?” At once, the Buddha, to their bewilderment, performed a miracle by sitting cross-legged in the air. Now, the ‘yakkas’ through fear, emotional excitement and apprehensive of danger, begged the Buddha to save their lives and set them free. Whereupon, the Buddha, addressed them saving “I shall, O yakkas, save thee from all danger, provided I am offered a place to sit down, and make known to thee my mission”. The evil horde verily agreed saying “O Great Being! We shall offer thee the whole island”. Buddha, having seated at the spot, where the Mahiyangana chetiya now stands, delivered to them a discourse, whereby they became spiritually evaluated and attained the stages of holiness (i.e., the fruits of Sovan, Sakadagami, Anagami and Arhat). Among them was the ‘yakka’ commandant Saman who, after listening to the discourse, became elevated to the first phase of spiritual eminence (‘Sovan’), and came to be known as Saman deviyo, who is now propitiated as the tutelary deity of Sri Pada. The god, thereupon, appealed to the Buddha to give him something as a token of symbolic worship, in the absence of the Buddha. Buddha in accedence of the earnest request, gave the god a handful of hair from his head, which the god accepted with great devotion. The god had the hair-relic secured in a golden reliquary and enshrined it in a small tope 10 ft. high and 24 ft. in circumference (Mhv. 1:36). It is the first cetiya in Sri Lanka, built during the life-time of the Buddha. All other King Sena II (850-885), not only paid his benefactions to the cetiya, but also alienated land for the vihara as a token of gratitude. (Mhv. 51:74). King Kassapa IV (896-913) also alienated a village for the vihara to expand its perimeter. (Mhv. 52:15). King Vijayabahu I (1058-1114), who established the Polonnaruwa kingdom, seeing the ruinous state of the cetiya, overgrown with wild vegetation and fauna, took steps to renovate it, without allowing it to undergo further deterioration.