Yatala Legacy
Location 6.281856 North, 81.248703 East
By Nilu Rajapakse
Situated along the Debarawewa-Tissamaharama route, Yatala holds a key position in the history of the Ruhunu Kingdom. Dating back to 300 BC i.e. almost 2300 years ago Yatala was the place where Prince Yatala was born. They say that the Yatala dagoba marks the place of his birth, when his father King Mahanaga and his consort were fleeing from Anuradhapura.
 Yatala Chaitya, built in approx. 200 BC |
 Statue of Lord Buddha found in the ruined remains of the Yatala Wehera |
The small museum in Yatala displayed some of its historical treasures. The ancient statue of the Lord Buddha is over 2000 years old and the curator of the museum believes it to have been manufactured locally rather than being imported from India, as was the practice at the time. He explains the reasons for this conclusion as the particular way in which the ’sivura’ or robe is worn and the gesture of the hands. Here he goes into technical details which are for the moment lost on the author.
The Statue is said to be the ‘guru - pilima’ of the more popular avukana statue in Anuradhapura. The similarities are obvious except for the missing “Urna Roma Dhatu” - the single coil of hair on the forehead called the Eye of Wisdom and the crown or headdress depicting the ray of light from the “Ushnisha” a symbol of his great spiritual power and luminosity as well as his wisdom and knowledge.
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