In the Hindu mythology it is mentioned that Sanghamitta was the daughter of the Royal Leader Ashoka and his wife Devi, the Buddhist queen.
Sanghamitta or Sanghamitra is believed to be the youngest child of King Ashoka and her elder brother was Prince Mahindra. Emperor Ashoka took the path of Buddhism after the war of Kalinga. Ashoka`s Buddhist wife also took the path of salvation along with him. She named their daughter `Sanghamitta` as per Buddhism as she wanted to give her a Buddhist name.
King Ashoka then decided to send his children away, to foreign land, to preach the teaching of Buddha. In Buddhism Sanghamitta is honored in every Winter solstice.
Sanghamitta along with her two esteemed twin brother, entered an order of Buddhist monks. Later her two brothers went to Sri Lanka to spread the teachings of Gautama Buddha. Ashoka was initially unwilling to send his daughter Sanghamitta on a foreign mission, but because of the insistence of his daughter, he finally granted permission.
Sanghamitta went to Sri Lanka together with several other nuns or female preachers to start the nun-lineage known as Bhikkhunis. This was done after some female royalty from Sri Lanka court requested to be ordained as nuns.
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