Dematamal Vihara

The Dematamal Vihara is situated in a paddy area at the road from Butttala to the famous Maligawila Buddha Statue. The temple lies about 4 km from the Buttala town. The historic brick stupa of Dematamal Vihara is said to date back to the earliest Buddhist period of Sri Lanka. According to local beliefs, the monastery was once the place where Prince Saddhatissa was hiding after his army had been defeated by his elder brother Dutthagamani in a war of succession to the throne. It was with the help of the monks that the two brothers finally were reconciled, which was a historically significant precondition to reconquer the Tamil controlled Anuradhapura in the northern heartland by joint Sinhalese forces from the south.