දීපවම්සය ([[Dipavamsa]]) සහ මහාවම්සය ([[Mahavamsa]]), Sri Lanka's two great religious chronicles, contain accounts of Mahinda travelling to Sri Lanka and converting King [[Devanampiyatissa]].<ref name="Macmillan1">{{citation
Mahavamsaමහාවංශයට andහා Dipavamsa,දීපවංශයට theඅනුව chroniclesමෙම ofපිරිස Sriපසලොස්වක Lanka,දිනයක recordපැවති theජාතික arrivalඋත්සවයක් ofඅතරතුර thepartyලක්දිවට onපැමිණ theඇත. fullඑම moon ofමොහොතේ [[Jetthaදේවානම්පියතිස්ස]],aරජතුමා nationalමිහින්තලේ festivalදී atමුව theදඩයමේ time.යෙදෙමින් Atසිට theඇත. time, King [[DevanampiyatissaJettha]] was partaking in a hunting expedition in the [[Mihintale]] hills. It is said that Asokaඑහි andසඳහන් Devanampiyatissaඅන්දමට wereඅශෝක previouslyරජතුමා acquaintedහා andදේවානම්පියතිස්ස onරජතුමා goodකලින් terms,දැන havingහැඳිනගෙන exchangedසිටි royalඅතර giftsරාජ්ය uponතාන්ත්රික theirමට්ටමින් respectiveතෑගි ascensionsබෝග toහුවමාරු theකරගෙන throneඇත. Upon meeting the shaven-headed monks Devanampiyatissa was taken aback by their appearance and inquired as to who they were. After exchanging greetings, Mahinda preached the [[Chulahatthipadopama Sutra]], and the royal hunting party converted to Buddhism. The party was subsequently invited to [[Anuradhapura]], the seat of the throne for a royal reception and to give further [[dharma]] talks. Mahinda subsequently gave two public talks sanctioned by [[Devanampiyatissa]], in the Royal Hall and in the Nandana garden in the Royal Park, leading to the start of the public embrace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. The royal park [[Mahamegha]] was then set aside as the residence for Mahinda's party, and in later times became the [[Mahavihara]], the earliest centre of Buddhist culture and scholarship Sri Lanka. The [[Chetiyagirivihara]] monastery was then established in [[Mihintale]].
Mahinda then sent for his sister [[Sanghamitta]] from Magadha, who was a [[Bhikkuni|nun]], to start a female Buddhist order after local women had expressed a desire to join the [[Sangha]]. Mahinda also arrainged for a [[bodhi]] sapling from the original tree in [[Bodh Gaya]] to be sent to Sri Lanka, where it was planted in the grounds of the Mahavihara and is still visible today.