'Loved by Gods', [ˈdeːʋaːnampiyə t̪issə]), also known as Devanape Tis (Sinhala: දෙවනපෑ තිස්, [ˈdeʋənəpǣ t̪is]), was one of the earliest kings of Sri Lanka based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura.

[3] His reign was notable for the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka under the aegis of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka the Great.

The events surrounding Mahinda's arrival and meeting with the king form one of the most important legends of Sri Lankan history.

According to the Mahavamsa King Devanampiyatissa was out enjoying a hunt with some 40,000 of his soldiers near a mountain called Mihintale.

The sacred precinct features the Ambasthala, or 'Mango tree stupa', where Thera Mahinda asked the king a series of riddles to check his capacity for learning,[7][8] the cave in which Thera Mahinda lived for over forty years, and the Maha Seya, wherein is contained a relic of the Buddha.

The other major site associated with Devanampiyatissa's reign is the planting of the Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura.