Maligawila Temple & the Buddha Statue- Okkampitiya, Sri Lanka

Maligawila Temple is one of the most famous destinations in my area, which simply shows the elegance of the ancient Buddhist Civilization and the talent of our ancestors. Thousands of Pilgrims and devotees from all around the world travel here to see this magical place.

It's lying around 7km away from Dematamal Viharaya, both standing tall to emphasize the ancient glory, and for the spiritual enhancement of the people.

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The Location

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It's located in a small rural village called Maligawila, Okkampitiya Grama Niladhari Division, in the Monaragala District, Uva Province of Sri Lanka. From Buttala town, you have to take the Okkampitiya road for around 15km through an area with amazing natural beauty, with jungles, paddy fields, wildlife, etc. To easily locate the place, there are many signboards along the way.

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Well, the Temple spans a very large area of at least 400 acres. As you can see in the above images, there are footpaths to significant locations, and most of it is a well-preserved small forest.

Historical Background, Architecture, and Design

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There are a few major archaeological sites in the temple. According to the ancient Sinhala Literature and historians, this was built around the 7th century, and known as the ancient Ariyakara temple.

Anyway, with time, the place has been covered by jungle, the statue has fallen and been broken, and has been attacked by the treasure hunters. After it was discovered in the early 20th century, efforts have been made to bring it back to its ancient shape.

• Standing Buddha statue,

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The highlight of Maligawila Temple is undoubtedly the standing Buddha statue. It's one of the tallest free-standing statues in the country and is made of a single block of limestone. It's said that the Prince Aggabodhi of Ruhuna Kingdom pioneered the construction of this in the 7th century.

It's always marvelous to build such a delicate work with a height of 37 feet 10 inches (11.53 m). Here, the right hand is raised, which depicts the Abhaya Mudra, and the left hand depicts the Varada Mudra. And if you watch closely, you can smooth work in the face, robe, etc. It needs mastery to crave like this from stone back in the days.

Anyway, after discovering in the forest, broken and ruined into pieces, in 1991, President Ranasinghe Premadasa instructed the local Engineers and authorities to safely restore it. On the 1st of September, 1991, it was opened once again for the public.

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The statue is surrounded by a brick wall, and you can see guard stones on either side of the entrance, and a few other ornaments made of stone. There are separate places to offer flowers, lamps, and incense sticks.

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• Maithree Natha Bodhisattva / Dambegoda Bodhisattva Statue

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Around 500m away from the Buddha statue, there is another free-standing statue of Maithree Natha Bodhisattva. It's also made of a single rock, which is around 9.85 meters tall and weighs about 40 tons. It's also constructed during the 7th century by King Dappula, and with time, it was broken into pieces when discovered. Anyway, in 1990, President Premadasa took action to restore the statue.

There is a huge brick staircase to climb to reach the statue, and here and there we can see stone pillars, carvings as well. The roof and the huge building itself give an ancient vibe to the place.

The Staircase

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• Dambegoda Pillar Inscription

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It's another amazing work, at the entrance of the Dambegoda statue. It can be seen that it's a work of King Mahinda IV in the 10th century. The pillar is 3.8 meters high and 30cm of width. There are 139 lines on all sides. The archaeologists have retrieved most of the work, and it said some works of the king, and the responsibilities of the king for the religion.

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• The new Temple

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Apart from the above ancient works, a new temple has been constructed in the premises, with a stupa, a Bo tree, Buddha statues, image houses, and other modern buildings for monks to live. There is a separate area for the Sunday Dhamma School for the kids as well.

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• Other available Features

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There are more than enough parking spaces available there, as hundreds of devotees visit here daily. On normal days, we can travel to the temple. Normally it's free of charge, but on the Vesak Poya day they charged Rs 100 (0.3 dollars) per vehicle.

There are few locations for drinking water and sanitary facilities. And beside the road at the entrance, there are shops to buy flowers, religious items, toys, and other small things.

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As the place is a Protected Archaeological site, there are representatives from it here and there. On Vesak Day, we were lucky to experience a Tea Dansal/ free food stall organized by them.

There is a separate donation center near the Stupa to construct a new image house. Anyway, they are not mandatory, and if it's possible, you can help them.

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To easily manage the place, there are various notice boards here and there with instructions and reminders. And also, for educational purposes and to provide information, the authorities have constructed separate boards.

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Overall Experience

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It's just like walking through ancient history. We took the motorbike to travel through serene fields, and the area is like heaven. And I highly recommend that you go early in the morning/ in the evening, because sometimes it can be hot.

The area is peaceful, even though with a big crowd, mostly with forest areas, and we have separate places to worship and engage in religious activities. So, nothing to worry about nice. We can see the creativity and the talent of ancient ancestors, and pass it to the next generations. I felt that the huge area can be developed, blending with nature, and preserving the ancient glory to make the place more attractive.

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So, overall it's a wonderful experience for us. I have to say Maligawila Temple is a must-visit destination in Sri Lanka for exploring our cultural heritage and ancient, rich history.

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The Place	Maligawila Temple & the Buddha Staue- Okkampitiya, Sri Lanka
Type of place	Temple
Opening days and hours	every day from 05.30 a.m. to 07.30 p.m
Entrance	Free
Location	on Google Maps, on Steem Atlas
Website/ Social Media	Facebook
Sources	Maligawila, Dambegoda Pillar Inscription, Maligawila Buddha Statue and and Dambegoda Bodhisattva Statue
Time of Visit	13th of May, 2025

Until the next time! Enjoy!

Thank you.
Best Regards!