From Buddhism: Nuns

It is not surprising that the nuns had a great devotion for Ananda, for it was he who championed their cause.

At first, the Buddha refused the request of Maha Pajapati Gotama, his step-mother, to be admitted to the Order. Undaunted by this refusal she walked all the way from Kapilavatthu to Vasali with other Sakyan ladies. Ananda found them outside the vihara, weeping and with swollen feet, unable to go to the Buddha’s presence again.

Ananda requested the Buddha to grant them their wish but was thrice refused. He then changed tactics, and inquired whether a woman could win the Fruits of the Path. The Buddha’s affirmative answer was a clue for him to push his argument further. “If they can win the Fruits of the Path, then why not grant them admission into the Order?”

The Buddha agreed, and on eight conditions Maha Pajapati Gotama and the rest of the women were admitted to the Order. That Ananda was a regular preacher to the nuns. He was also in charge of sending preachers regularly to the nuns.

Hsuan-tsang, who came to India in the 7th century A.C. says that even at that time Ananda was worshipped by the nuns as their patron saint.