Statue of Lord Buddha, Yudhaganaawa, off Buththala, Sri Lanka.

Yudaganawa town is in the Buttala Divisional Secretariat Division of the Moneragala District. The Dagoba could be reached by traversing 1½ km along the left turnoff at the Yudaganawa Junction 16km from Wellawaya on the Wellawaya - Moneragala road.
Yudaganawa derived its name fron the two words Yuda meaning war and Anganaya meaning arena being the place where the armies of prince Dutugemunu and prince Saddhatissa fought each other in 2nd c B.C. Another school of thought has it to be the spot where Prarakramabhahu the Great built a dagoba enshrining the ashes of his mother, Queen Ratnavali.

This Dagoba is by far the biggest ancient monument found in the Uva Province. Although the period to which the architecture of the Dagoba belonged is not clearly disernible, an image house of the Kandyan era is found near the Dagoba. However the Sutighara Dagoba of Dedigama, Demalamahaseya of Polonnaruwa and the Yudaganawa Dagoba had been built in the same design of Kotavehera type. As all these dagobas had been built up to half their height in brick it could be surmised that all three dagobas belong to the same era.http://www.archaeology.gov.lk/web/index.php…
I took a picture of a Buddha statue in the 'image house' mentioned above.
The youngster showing us the image said that the features of Lord Buddha in the image house shows a lack of serenity found in other images of Lord Buddha in the Island.

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Scenes at Maligawila, off Buththala, Sri Lanka.

A pleasant grove to walk in.

The 'Standing Buddha' statue carved out of sand-stone, created in the 7th Century AD.

A troop of monkeys in the grove.

Created as a monastery complex in the 7th Century AD, the statue of the standing Buddha had fallen down and its neck broken when I saw it for the first time in 1966. It was lifted up and placed in the erect posture during the regime of the Late Mr. Premadasa. A crane used to lift the massive statue broke down during this exercise. The statue predates the famous 'Aukana' statue near Kalawewa.

'Demetamal Vihare', Buththala, Sri Lanka, it's place in history.

Tissa and Dutugamini sons of Kavan Tissa, 2nd Century BC, fought two battles at 'Yudaganaava', near Butthala, Sri Lanka, on the plains of Uva. Tissa won the first battle, Gamini losing nearly 30,000 soldiers.
Tissa was defeated in the second battle at Yudaganaawa near Butthala, on a contest of single-man combat with Gamini and was pursued by Gamini.. 
‘Tissa took shelter among the monks, whilst Gemunu kept up the pursuit and watched at the Vihare entrance. The monks having seen Gemunu pursuing Tissa, when the latter took shelter among them, those who were sitting stood up and those who were standing sat down. When Gemunu asked them “My Lords where is Tissa who has just come here?” they answered, “We have not seen him either sitting or standing”. The monks bore out Tissa as if they carried a dead monk swathed in yellow robes, and Gemunu having perceived it said, “There goes Tissa, a powerless body on the shoulders of monks:” and taking with him the elephant Kadol and his mother repaired to the city of Magama.” – A translation from the Sri Lankan historical narrative 'RAJAVALIYA' - 'The line of Kings'.

Video:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD4EhMgI7Ts 

Scenes outside the historic 'Demetamal Vihare', Buththala, Sri Lanka.

'Demetamal Vihare', Buththala, Sri Lanka.

In the war between Dutta Gamini and his brother Tissa, in the 2nd Century BC, Tissa was defeated at a place called 'Yudaganaawa' in Buththala. The defeated Tissa took refuge in 'Demetamal Vihare' close by. Dutta Gamini pursued his brother and knew that Tissa was there. He left his army outside and went to meet the Cheif Priest of the temple. The priest answered truthfully ' I do not see him', when Tissa was hiding under a seat. Gamini left the place out of respect for the 'Sangha'. Tissa was later smuggled out disguised as the dead body of  a priest. Later the chief priest brought amity and concord between the two brothers. This is part of Sri Lankan history and this is the 'Demetamal Vihare' referred to. It lies a few hundred yards off the Butthala - Moneragala road, a few Kms outside Butthala.