Dematamal Vihara is a small, still-active Buddhist temple built around an ancient brick stupa. It stands at Okkampitiya, a village a few kilometres from Buttala in Monaragala District. Its fame comes from Prince Saddhatissa, who, the story goes, found safety here while fleeing his brother Dutugemunu.
Is it worth visiting?
Go if you’re already travelling between Buttala and the Maligawila Buddha statue or Kataragama. It’s a short detour to an old, lived-in village temple rather than a big restored monument.
Think twice if you want polished ruins with information boards. Dematamal is modest and quiet, and some of its history is folklore rather than confirmed fact.
The Saddhatissa story
Prince Tissa lost a power struggle with his elder brother, Prince Dutugemunu, and fled. Tradition remembers Dematamal as the place that gave him safety. Local tradition adds a vivid detail: his monks wrapped him in robes and carried him past his pursuers, as if he were a dead monk on the way to cremation. He later took the name Saddhatissa. Take the details as local tradition rather than settled history.
What’s there
Tradition dates the brick stupa to the 2nd century BC, which would make it one of the oldest in Sri Lanka. However, no excavation report we could find confirms that date. The protected site also includes stone pillars and the ruins of other monastery buildings. The stupa, pillars and ruins were declared a protected archaeological monument by government gazette on 27 December 1974.
Visiting
Dematamal is a working temple, so dress as you would for any Sri Lankan temple. Cover your shoulders and legs, and take off shoes and hats before you go near the stupa. We found no official information on an entrance fee or opening hours, and visitors don’t mention a ticket counter. So treat it as a place to look round respectfully rather than a ticketed attraction.
The temple sits beside the road from Buttala to Okkampitiya, a few kilometres out of Buttala town. Without your own transport, a tuk-tuk from Buttala is the easiest way there; agree the fare before you set off. The same road continues towards the turn for the Maligawila statue, so the two make a natural pair for a morning in the area.
Around Okkampitiya and Buttala
Monaragala District has other old Buddhist sites worth a stop. Buduruwagala, near Wellawaya, is a rock face carved with Buddha and bodhisattva figures. If you’re basing yourself nearby, Kataragama is the usual stop for accommodation, and it has its own devalaya and festival.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Where is Dematamal Vihara?
In Okkampitiya village, a few kilometres from Buttala town in Monaragala District, Uva Province.
What is Dematamal Vihara known for?
An old brick stupa, and the tradition that Prince Saddhatissa found safety here while fleeing his brother Dutugemunu.
Is there an entrance fee?
We found no official fee, and visitors don’t mention a ticket counter. It’s a working temple rather than a managed heritage site, so dress modestly and behave as you would at any Buddhist temple.
Can I combine it with other sites nearby?
Yes. The road continues to the turn for the Maligawila Buddha statue. Buduruwagala and Kataragama are also within range for a day based around Buttala.
Header photo: Anjale8891 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
